Official Website of Gina Marie Long

'Underworld' series - Great storyline

2012-02-06T09:00:00.000-06:00

Another 'Underworld' movie was recently released...to be precise: Underworld: Awakening (also known as Underworld 4), 2012, 3D action horror film, 4th installment in the Underworld film series, with Kate Beckinsale (Selene), Sandrine Holt, Michael Ealy, and India Eisley, filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, released in theaters on January 20, 2012.

Underworld: Awakening movie poster

*sigh...of approval, smile*

From my viewpoint as an author, this series of movies is pure genius. I am biased, I realize, because I drink up anything with vampires and werewolves (and the like!). But every so often, a particular movie or a movie series (franchise) comes along that captures my attention, draws me into the storyline, keeps me completely captivated, on the edge of my seat (couch), and makes me drool wondering what in the world will happen next?!

I rarely go to the theater to watch a movie, though. Surprised? I prefer to indulge in my movie/TV entertainment passion while in the comfort and quiet of my own home. No screaming or crying kids, no popcorn crunching all around, no 147 times the people in the "other seats" need to get up & down & squeeze past me, no missing any of the movie if I have to go potty or get a snack, way cheaper at home to watch a $2 DVD and it allows us to "pause" the DVD to discuss a plot point or replay an awesome scene or something we didn't quite understand the first time around. So, I haven't seen this movie YET...not until it's released on DVD.

Back to 'Underworld'...the storyline is deep (after 4 movies it should be!). The earlier movies delved into the mythology of the vampires and werewolves. I love that stuff! I think the first 3 movies are available in a trilogy pack and I should buy them. Movies, TV shows and books help authors stretch their own imaginations, come up with new ideas, perhaps finally figure out how to proceed with their novel if they had been "stuck" before or had writer's block.

Below I'm posting the 'Underworld: Awakening' plot synopsis that I found on Wikipedia. I had been searching for info on exactly what this 4th installment of 'Underworld' entailed and when I discovered this very thorough synopsis, I jumped up and down. I'd recommend DON'T READ it if you don't want to be hit over the head with SPOILERS. My husband HATES learning too much about something before he watches/reads it. I'm different. I love sucking this crap up. Here you go:

'Underworld: Awakening' PLOT:
Six months after the events of Underworld: Evolution, vampire Selene is captured by humans during "The Purge," a massive crusade of war to exterminate vampires and lycans after mankind learns of their existence. Humans call them "Non-Humans" and "The infected."

Twelve years later, human governments had committed genocides to vampires and lycans, killing everything, surviving populations were reduced to being scavengers and guerrillas, 90% of the vampire race was annihilated, and lycans are believed to be extinct. Selene is freed from cryogenic suspension and escapes the medical corporation Antigen. The corporation is trying to make an antidote for the virus that creates vampires and lycans. Selene starts to have strange visions after her escape, which she follows, believing them to be linked to her lover, the vampire-lycan hybrid Michael Corvin. The visions lead her into a building where she runs into David, a fellow vampire.

While talking to David, Selene has another vision. Following the vision, she discovers not Michael, but a young girl called only "Subject 2," also known as Eve. Later revealed to be a hybrid and Selene and Michael's daughter. David, noting that Eve (Subject 2) has been injured by the lycans and is somehow not healing, takes them to his coven. David's father, Thomas, does not welcome Selene and Eve, stunning Selene with the news that Michael died twelve years ago and that Selene was the cause for the destruction of the vampire race. Upon being given some vampire blood, Eve heals extremely quickly.

Dr. Jacob Lane, director of Antigen, is revealed to be a lycan alongside his son, Quint. The "antidote" the corporation has been working on for many years is actually to make lycans immune to the deadly effects of silver and to enhance their physical abilities. Eve's hybrid genetic code is required to achieve this, so Lane sends Quint with other lycans to the vampire coven to recapture her.

Meanwhile, expecting a human attack at any moment, David tries to rally the vampires resistances to fight back, while his father orders everyone to evacuate and hide. Most of the vampires stay, and arm themselves heavily. Unexpectedly, lycans arrived in large numbers instead, and numerous vampires are slaughtered, a huge blow to the coven. Selene encounters a gigantic "super lycan", who is later revealed to be Quint, his body changed by injections using Eve's blood. Selene is knocked unconscious under a pile of rubble, Eve is turned over to the lycans by Thomas in exchange for their departure, and David is mortally wounded during the battle. Selene decides to save Eve but first revives David using her immortal blood, given to her by Alexander Corvinus in Evolution.

Able to survive in sunlight, Selene enlists the help of Detective Sebastian, a human who tried to investigate Antigen earlier in the film. Sebastian agrees to help save Eve, admitting he was married to a nurse who was bitten at work and became a vampire. When authorities were doing door to door searches for Vampires and Lycans, instead of becoming another victim of The Purge, his wife decided to give herself to the daylight rather than suffer at the hands of humans.

Selene destroys part of Antigen's headquarters using explosives and silver gas, forcing Dr. Lane to move Eve out of the building to perform an operation to create more of the antidote. Selene escapes from the lycans in the building. (Antigen is nearly entirely staffed by lycans) In the process, she finds Michael cryogenically frozen in a laboratory. She shoots his cell to let him out. Escaping in a van, Dr. Lane is intercepted by Sebastian and then by Selene, who causes the van to crash. Quint arrives, transforms into his super lycan form, and fights Selene.

Eve awakens on her stretcher, frees herself from the van, and engages Dr. Lane in a fight, who has injected himself with the super lycan formula used on Quint. Sebastian and the revived David aid Eve in her fight until she kills Dr. Lane by ripping his throat out.

Meanwhile, Quint corners Selene in a small cement guardroom but is forced to revert to his human form to get to her, only for Selene to shove an activated silver-based grenade into Quint's body. He heals instantly, trapping the grenade inside. Panicking, he half-changes back to lycan form, but it is too late, and he explodes.

Selene goes to find Michael but finds an empty cryogenic cell with Eve sharing his vision and learns he is on the roof. Selene, Eve, and David run to the roof only to find Michael has gone. Selene narrates, concluding that she will find Michael and take back the world from the humans and lycans, so the vampires can rebuild themselves as the humans declared war.

*heart races...sitting up straight chair*
To those who go to the theaters and watch (or have already seen it), feel free to post your comments! And Selene (Kate Beckinsale) kicks ass, doesn't she?! And looks awesome doing it!

Werewolf Legends - Can you say Rougarou?

2012-01-30T13:00:00.000-06:00

For fans and lovers of werewolf myths, legends, folklore, whatever term tickles your fancy, I've researched information on...The Rougarou:

The Rougarou is a French-American term for a werewolf, basically. It comes from the original French loup-garou (French pronunciation: [lu ɡaˈʁu], English: /ˈluː ɡəˈruː/). Loup is French for wolf and garou is a man who transforms into an animal.

It has alternate spellings: Roux-Ga-Roux, Rugaroo, or Rugaru.

The tale of the rougarou is a common Cajun legend across French Louisiana. Some people call the creature a rougarou; others refer to it as the loup garou.

French settlers spread the legend for centuries claiming the rougarou prowled the swamplands around Acadiana and New Orleans and nearby forests.

The rougarou is normally described with features similar to the werewolf - depending on which werewolf folklore it is being compared to. The Cajun rougarou has a human body and the head of a wolf or dog.

The legends are often used to inspire fear or to influence behavior, especially in children, to make them behave. According to one variation of the legend, the wolf-like beast will hunt down and kill Catholics who do not follow the rules of Lent.

Some stories say the rougarou is created through witchcraft...only a witch can turn herself into a wolf or curse others with lycanthropy - turning them into werewolves. One story of this creature actually ties it to the headless horseman! Now that one is odd!

Another legend from the Louisiana area involves drinking blood. It says the rougarou is under a spell for 101 days then the curse is transferred to someone else when he/she drinks another human's blood. The cursed person never tells anyone for fear of being hunt down and killed. And so the curse or spell continues on...
~~~~

So, was that interesting or what?! Is it time to make a trip down to New Orleans now? That area intrigues me to no end! And for various reasons besides this bit of werewolf folklore I just posted! It's famous for vampire mythology and ghosts and all its amazing history (both myth and real)!

Another social networking site? Pinterest appears different

2012-01-23T14:53:00.000-06:00

Nope, I haven't signed up (yet) for Pinterest. Here's the link and some info for those curious:
http://pinterest.com/

Taken from their site:

What is Pinterest?

Pinterest is a virtual pinboard. Pinterest allows you to organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web. You can browse pinboards created by other people to discover new things and get inspiration from people who share your interests.
People use pinboards to plan their weddings, decorate their homes, and share their favorite recipes.

Pinterest is currently invite-only. You can request an invite from Pinterest or be invited by someone already using it.

Their goal is to connect everyone in the world through the 'things' they find interesting.

So, I guess it is like a social networking site, but different. I gave the site a quick once-over and it appears that photos you find on the internet is what you "pin" to your account. And you can find others with similar interests...and share your findings.

I keep a hard copy of all the bazillion sites I have accounts with...my login info, etc. I'm looking at the list and shaking my head in amazement and frustration. No wonder I get sucked into the Internet Worm Hole of Lost Time and suddenly glance at the clock and gasp! -- wondering where did the last three hours disappear to?! Some accounts with some sites I've let whither away and never or rarely return. Some I try to check in once a week. But Facebook, Twitter and my blog/website are the main social networking sites I keep close tabs on.

What about you? Have you tried this new Pinterest? And how many still fiddle with MySpace?

Werewolf Movies - Have you seen all of these?

2012-01-16T16:21:00.000-06:00

This is a short list of werewolf movies that I nabbed up from someone at Internet Movie Database...since it contains several of my own favorites and I didn't have to torture my brain coming up with a great list, I'm posting this one! I'm ashamed to say there are about two on the list I'm not familiar with...how about you?

1. Underworld 2003

2. Underworld: Evolution 2006

3. Underworld: Rise of the Lycans 2009

4. Teen Wolf Too 1987

5. Van Helsing 2004

6. Blood and Chocolate 2007

7. Cursed 2005

8. Teen Wolf 1985

9. Never Cry Werewolf 2008

10. Skinwalkers 2006

11. Full Moon High 1981

12. New Moon 2009

13. The Twilight Saga: Eclipse 2010

14. An American Werewolf in London 1981

15. The Wolfman 2010

16. Red Riding Hood 2011

Werewolf Mythology

2012-01-11T12:33:00.000-06:00

Time for fun! Let's devour some werewolf mythology and legends. We'll take a bite out of the mysteries surrounding these furry creatures and feed the drooling appetite for fans and interested bystanders.

A werewolf is also known as a lycanthrope. Affectionately called a lycan.
According to European folklore, they can show physical traits even in their human form, such as: the meeting of both eyebrows, curved fingernails, low-set ears and a swinging stride. A method of identifying a werewolf in its human form: cut the flesh and fur would be seen in the wound. Russian folklore states a werewolf has bristles under the tongue.
Werewolves normally have superhuman strength, speed, and senses, far beyond that of wolves and men.
And the French name for a werewolf is loup-garou. (Don't ask me to pronounce it.)
References to men changing into wolves are found in Ancient Greek literature and mythology. Herodotus wrote that a tribe near Scythia transformed into wolves once every year for several days. Ovid tells of King Lycaon who served human flesh to God Zeus - testing if he was really a god. Zeus wasn't amused and turned Lycaon into a werewolf as punishment for the crime. Ovid also relates stories of men in Arcadia who roamed the woods in the form of wolves.
Other Roman writers mentioned lycanthropy. Virgil wrote of humans transforming into wolves. Pliny the Elder relates two tales of lycanthropy. One is of a man who hung his clothes on an ash tree, swam across an Arcadian lake, and transformed into a wolf. If he didn't attack humans for 9 years, he could swim back and take his human form. Pliny's second tale is of a man who was turned into a wolf after eating the entrails of a child.
Some less-heard of ways to become a werewolf: a) removal of clothing and putting on a belt made of wolfskin, b) rub the body with a magic salve, c) drinking rainwater out of the footprint of the wolf or from enchanted streams, d) on a certain Wednesday or Friday, sleep outside on a summer night with the full moon shining directly on the face, e) by/for Satanic allegiance and reasons, f) being cursed by witches or a spell cast by sorcerers, g) being born a werewolf.
The most common way (that you've read in books or seen on TV and the movies) to become a werewolf is being bitten or scratched by one. It's interesting to note that this kind of transformation or conversion into a werewolf is actually rare in legends/myths. Although being turned into a vampire...being bitten or scratched/scraped by the teeth - now that would be considered the norm!

I hope you found this brief "knowledge" about werewolves interesting. I love researching this stuff and definitely do use some of the information I find to help me with ideas in writing my Werewolf Series.

Which by the way, Unknown Touch-Book 1, in the eBook format, was reduced in price to $4.99. Snatch it up here:
Amazon link for Unknown Touch-Werewolf Series-Book 1
B&N link for Unknown Touch-Werewolf Series-Book 1
Of course those pages will include the optional print version (at prices listed there).

And let's not forget Unknown Scent-Werewolf Series-Book 2 at Amazon.
Unknown Scent-Werewolf Series-Book 2 at B&N.
Both of these links are for eBooks...with print version offered as another option.

I'm thinking my next blog will continue with more Werewolf Mythology, Legends, etc. What do you think?

"Unknown Touch-Werewolf Series-Book 1" eBook SALE!

2012-01-02T14:10:00.000-06:00

"Unknown Touch-Werewolf Series-Book 1" eBook SALE!! My publisher just sent an email stating my first book as listed here is on sale! That would be the eBook version, by the way. You can nab it up for $4.99 at Amazon or B&N . (Click the store name - I've got the links on the words.)

Have I mentioned how I love my eReaders -- both the Nook and the newest arrival, the Kindle? Well, I do! Although my sweet 1 1/2 year old Nook has been gathering dust since Kindle made its appearance.

Happy New Year!

Who received an eReader as a present?

2011-12-26T14:40:00.001-06:00

So, how many people received a shiny new eReader as a Christmas present? Or perhaps a gift card for Amazon.com or B&N.com with the intent to purchase eBooks? I can imagine A LOT of people did! I already owned a Nook, but my husband bought me a Kindle 3G, which I did request! There's nothing wrong with my Nook, by the way. It's 1 1/2 years old and just fine. But Amazon and its popular Kindle seem to rule...and I didn't want to be left out not having the privilege to own one, too! I also received some nice, cool cash from my sister-in-law and decided to set it aside specifically for buying more eBooks whenever I'm in need of a reading fix - which is often! Yay!

My two published books: Unknown Touch-Werewolf Series-Book 1 and Unknown Scent-Werewolf Series-Book 2 are available in both print and eBook versions. I've noticed the rise of my books purchased as an eBook vs. the number of paperbacks sold. I'm not at all surprised. Personally, I still buy some physical (print) books by specific authors or when I want a technical, detailed, teaching type of book. But most of my fun, entertaining type of books I buy as an eBook now.

Happy reading everyone!

Organize the Outline - Out with Old, In with New

2011-12-21T12:59:00.000-06:00

My latest work-in-progress has had my mind paralyzed, stumped, and slushing along at a turtle's pace trying to complete it. I believe I've discovered my problem (I refuse to use the words "writer's block").

When I created the outline for this particular novel, I typed it in great detail - as in approximately 25 pages - front and back! My other published books did not have anywhere near that lengthy of outlines when I wrote them. Also, I had revised the storyline at an early point while writing the book. Some of those revisions were massive and I needed to rearrange events I'd already mapped out or to add entirely new points/chapters to the book and even forced deletions of specific scenes in other places. Those changes should create tons of additional suspense and thrilling action for the reader's pleasure.

But when I made all those changes, I did so using a pen on the printed pages of the outline. I never went back into the computer to make the changes on the outline there and to print out a brand-spanking new outline for my reference and constant use as I write the novel. I thought, "I can read all the hand-written changes just fine on the original print-out. Why waste time typing up all these changes I just spent a ton of time writing down? That's doing the work twice - No need to..." HA!!! Wrong! And I consider myself an organized person, too!

So, that means I've been attempting to work with the equivalent of a jigsaw puzzle, otherwise known as my outline...having to literally hunt down and piece together the next portion or chapter or even notes scribbled on notebook paper (shoved into the rest of the pages) of the outline among pages scattered on my desk in a zigzag fashion. For example: I moved Chapter 17 -- it became Chapter 6. Or perhaps a paragraph from another chapter moved to somewhere else in the book. Or huge sections were crossed out. Or arrows drawn on the paper indicating to move those sentences "up here" or "down there"!! Eeeek!

And that brings us to what I believe is the reason (or at least it's high on the excuse list) of why I've struggled writing this current book. I CANNOT READ (or easily follow through) MY OUTLINE anymore!! It's confusing and a big wadded mess! (The new cat was a major distraction, too!!)

I'm excited to announce that last night I started updating the outline (in my computer) in an efficient manner and greatly condensing it, too. Once I find "what happens" next in the novel on the old, printed outline that I've written changes on, I am now making those changes on the computer version for a new, easy-to-read, soon-to-be printed outline. I like to physically have an outline in my hands - not just saved on the computer. I should have it done this afternoon and back in the swing with writing the story. Yay!

I am working on Chapter 7 in this book...the title has changed several times...but it is a paranormal thriller, urban fantasy, young-adult trilogy written in the style of my Werewolf Series. This one highlights the Bigfoot species and has a spunky girl and her brother in it and they run into some serious trouble of the supernatural type...of course!

That's all for now!

Watched "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" on DVD - Thumbs Up (all the way to the ceiling!)

2011-12-13T12:24:00.000-06:00

Amazon Link

I absolutely LOVED this movie! I don't care if someone says they hated it to my face or thought it was so-so because to me it doesn't matter - (and that is a rare statement from me as I'm always worried about what other people think) I say again - I LOVED "Rise of the Planet of the Apes"!!!

And, yes, I just posted on my "other" blog/site: Enter Paranormal this exact post about "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" and thought I'd include most of the post here, too. (I know-shame on me using the same post on both of my blogs, but gosh-darn, this movie was super fabulously good and I wanted to tell people connected to me through my author site HERE, too!!) To continue...

I'm also a huge fan of the entire "Planet of the Apes" movie franchise. Over the summer my husband and I watched all the original movies filmed/created way back starting in 1968. I purchased through Amazon the "Planet of the Apes" Legacy Collection. I'll admit, a few of the movies in between the first one and the last one were a tad weak and even bordering on weird...but we watched and absorbed all the good with the bad.

Back to my thoughts: It was exciting to see tie-ins to the older movies; an example: the water hose scene -- in the old movie, the human was blasted with the water vs. in this new one, it was the ape. The facial expressions and emotions of the apes (mainly Caesar) completely ripped open my own heart and played with my feelings. Several times I found myself crying. Throughout the movie, I kept making connections to the original films, so anyone who is a major fan and remembers and loves those old movies, will be thrilled watching this new one. Clues or even full-blown explanations are presented about what humans did...what caused the end of life as we know it now. If you can recall important "Planet of the Apes" plot details and the storylines from the old movies, then this new "Rise..." works out perfectly and makes sense. Even if a viewer didn't watch or doesn't remember any of the old movies (which would be a shame, but) they should still enjoy "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" for the engaging plot, the awesome & realistic special effects, of course what it does to mess with your emotions plus realizing what the consequences are when things go terribly wrong with lab experiments.

Official Synopsis for "Rise of the Planet of the Apes":
During experiments to find a cure for Alzheimer's disease, a genetically-enhanced chimpanzee uses its greater intelligence to lead other apes to freedom.

Here's the official movie trailer link.

Click HERE for an official movie clip.

From Internet Movie Database:
"Rise of the Planet of the Apes" (2011)
Stars: James Franco, Andy Serkis and Freida Pinto

PG13 - 105 min -Action | Drama | Sci-Fi - August 5, 2011 (USA)

Ratings: 7.7 score out of a 10 from 95,903 voters

I'd never write a book if I had to use a typewriter

2011-12-05T11:57:00.001-06:00

Death to typewriters! Thank goodness! I would NEVER have written a book if I had to use a typewriter. I'm constantly editing and revising my sentences, making full use out of the backspace and delete buttons/keys on my computer's keyboard. Or I'm jumping back many pages into the story to change something. Typing individual pages on pieces of paper would never, ever work for me. I'd need to buy my own paper factory with all the tons of paper I'd go through and waste. I honestly don't know how any author ever finished a book using such a contraption.

I do own an electric typewriter. Really. And it still functions just fine. At least it did the last time I used it many years ago to type an address on an envelope. It's hidden under a sheet, covered in a nice protective layer of dust by now, on a storage shelf. Somewhere. I remember it had the correction tape feature, of which I made absolutely sure I had extra correction tape on hand. And how sloppy and obvious it was when I used that option. For me that was often. I'm referring to the use of correction tape, NOT how much I actually used the typewriter. That wasn't very often.

With the popularity and excitement of computers, I bought my first one back in about 1995. Wow. Suddenly all those mistakes I made typing, and if I decided to change my mind about anything at all I'd previously typed, wasn't an issue anymore. (Gee, I guess I shouldn't apply for any jobs relying on speed typing with accuracy!!)

Enter the idea of writing a book. Of course it wasn't until years later, as in 2009, that I wrote my first complete novel and had it published. Which reminds me...I AM supposed to be plunking away on my third book...and any errors be gone instantly with my magical powers of deletion (*waving my magic wand to and fro*...ha - tapping at the backspace key :) !

Official Website of Gina Marie Long

2011-12-02T10:18:00.000-06:00

It appears all went well with the re-directing of my domain address & this is now officially my author website. A few things have been altered from the original site...more like refreshed - by streamlining my content better. I hope all enjoy and please contact me with questions or comments!

(All can ignore this next bit...it's for Technorati to verify I am the author of this blog: PSBS7V64PRUD )

This blog site is now my Official Author Website!

2011-12-01T12:53:00.001-06:00

My author site address: www.ginamarielong.com may be down for a day or so as I transfer/redirect the domain name to this blog: http://www.ginamarielong.blogspot.com . I've tossed out my original author website hosted by Microsoft in favor of using the Blogger site here as my permanent author website because of massive changes Microsoft will be enforcing come about February. I've spent the last few days spiffing up this new official author site (copy/pasting, uploading, arranging, trying to figure out the redirecting process, etc.). The blogspot address will still be functional, too. Just wanted to update in case you couldn't access www.ginamarielong.com over the next day or so. And when you do, it will direct you right here :) Thanks!

Why do YOU like to read? My answer...

2011-11-22T15:20:00.001-06:00

And to turn the question around: Why do I like to read?

I like to escape from the real world every now and then. Reading takes my mind off of other chaotic or stressful things going on in my life. It's entertainment for me. I love reading about things, people and places that are fantasy or scifi or supernatural - what is considered "not real". It's relaxing. And it's exciting! To feel like you really know the characters you read about - to care for them or even hate some of them - but to have an emotional attachment to the story is invigorating. And when you can't wait to get back to reading more in the book or it's 2 A.M. and you should've gone to bed 4 hours earlier - then you know you've fallen in love with the story and it's a wonderful feeling!

I don't consider myself to be a romance book reader but many of the books I read do have a heavy romantic element worked into them. I'm suckered in by supernatural storylines and most do have romance in them yet I wouldn't label them a strict romance novel. Make sense? As mentioned already, I also enjoy fantasy and scifi plus urban fantasy and young-adult stuff. Of course, these are also the type of novels I write!

Getting back to WHY I like reading...it's like a hobby for me. I don't really have any other hobbies and am not involved in groups or organizations, so instead of gardening or painting or card playing or video games or crafts - I read!

Every story idea has been told...

2011-11-12T10:09:00.001-06:00

And because of this, writers must add their own twists and turns as best they can which still usually means several different story ideas are mixed together. Nothing is new. Really...how can it be with thousands and thousands of books published over the years?! What hopefully distinguishes similar stories from one another is the author's own "voice". I believe the emotions and any dialogue the writer gives the characters is especially important in helping that book stand out a little more from others of the same genre.

It's still tough, though. I find myself thinking, "Isn't my manuscript like blah-blah that I just read?" Or, "Is this too similar to what I just published?" Then I'll realize something different about it...some new turn of events, romantic relationships which are not the same, character flaws or strengths unlike a previous character I've read/written about, the good vs. evil elements shoot off in a different direction even if some portions might be familiar, the threat to the main character could be a group of baddies in one story but an individual meanie in another, and so on.

I'm sure every single writer has been influenced in some way by some thing they've read or watched in a movie. Which is a compliment to the influencing factor. We just need to warp that idea into our own and give it new life. And it never hurts to toss in a new creature or two ;) (coming from the mind of a paranormal thriller, urban fantasy writer, of course!)

"Grimm" Show, General Updates

2011-11-02T11:35:00.004-05:00

I posted on my Enter Paranormal Blog about the new show "Grimm" - which I love! Here's a tiny excerpt from that blog post (or just click here to read all of it):
"Grimm" - The previews over the last few months caught my attention. I'm already watching many evening shows as it is, and wasn't convinced I would start up another one. I'm so glad I did. Even my husband, who is Mr. Critical, enjoyed it. He gets rather tired of watching all the paranormal/supernatural/fantasy/sci fi TV shows (and movies) that I love. I feared he'd barf at one more in that genre that my curiosity beckoned we at least check out. It racked up a 7.4 out of a 10 score at www.imdb.com. I think that's pretty impressive. Hopefully it can continue keeping its audience glued to the screen for the ten episodes filmed in this first season (according to IMBD-it shows 10) and keep the ratings up. I'd like to see it get picked up for an additional season.
(much more to the post...)

In other news: My new cat, Jessie, is keeping me entertained and has adjusted well to indoor living. Several house maintenance chores checked off list with several more to go. Fiddling with which free security software to install on computers once my "paid for" security suite expires in three weeks (testing AVG and Zone Alarm on one, Avast and Comodo on another. Plus have Spybot and MalwareBytes set as on-demand scanners. And have Windows UAC set to ON.) Also I am slowly grinding away at my third book. Too many interruptions in life that derail my writing attempts, though. The National Novel Writing Month (affectionately aka NaNoWriMo) is currently in session. For those who don't know what it is - you write a book of at least 50,000 words in a month. Bonk me if I'm wrong on the word count, but I know it's around that number. I have sworn to myself that I would complete my current work in progress this month. Hmm...then I suppose I need to get busy & bounce out of here, as I should be writing my story now (*bonk* to get on it!) Cheers!

What's Happening? or Go Away! (Posting Frequency)

2011-10-25T15:50:00.002-05:00

Finding that perfect balance with how often an author should post messages is a tough one. Fans/Friends/Followers/Family (now isn't that weird all the "f"s?!) will either wonder if we crawled into a hole and died if we don't give status updates often - or - the complete opposite and wish we'd just shut up and quit rambling about every little thing.

It's an awkward moment as I sit at my computer and contemplate whether I should mention the antics of the stray cat I adopted (hiding under the bed & me shaking a coffee can of pennies while firmly yelling at it that it should not be under there *shake shake shake can*) or anything else in my personal life.

Concerning my writing life, I have to be cautious I don't give away spoilers or too much detail about the current work in progress. I'd love to chat about the chapter I'm presently writing, but how much is too much information and ruins the story for future reading? Ah, such a dilemma.

I've researched many authors to see what they do with their social networking and marketing, both in frequency of posting and what type of content they post. Well, nothing is set in stone it seems. Obviously there is a difference between fiction and non-fiction writers, too. The non-fiction authors can dish out their knowledge pertaining to the subject they wrote about...kind of like being an expert with that material/in that field. Some authors rarely post; others post every day and sometimes many times within one day. That goes for both fiction and non-fiction.

I do feel that posting too frequently creates a negative effect on F/F/F/F (remember the 4 "f"'s above), as they will barely skim over or completely skip/delete the posting and/or think Sheesh-does this girl ever shut up? Whereas a posting every few days would hopefully throw a spotlight on me and have them think Hey-There's a post from Gina. Haven't read anything from her lately. Wonder what's up?

So, anything in particular you want me to talk about? Questions, comments, concerns?

Hmm...I'm listening to Pink right now and wondering why my iPod is occasionally making some songs "skip". The new cat hates vacuum cleaners but has done well with litter box training. And I'm working on Chapter 5 in my latest novel - a paranormal thriller, urban fantasy, young-adult story. The word "Bigfoot" is in the title and it has other beings thrown in the mix, too. I'd love to tell you more about it, but every time I start to type something, I hit "delete" as I worry I'm leaking out details that I shouldn't be divulging. How's that for "what's happening?"

Conflicting Mythologies of Supernatural Beings

2011-10-19T14:13:00.004-05:00

Paranormal, supernatural, urban fantasy, many young adult storylines...

The various and conflicting mythologies, legends and background "rules" of supernatural characters is exactly what keeps this genre of story so popular. For example, if I'm watching a movie with vampires or reading a book with werewolves, it's so exciting to discover what "type" of creature the writer has created. Do the vampires burst into flame in the sun or merely get a sunburn or chill in a lawnchair with no ill effects? Can the werewolves shape shift whenever they want to or are they limited to a full moon? If demons are involved, what kind are they and what wacky, over-the-top feats can they perform? Any witches on hand? - What powers do they have, how far-reaching can their witchcraft or black magic alter people, places, things?

If all stories (books, TV shows, movies) stayed stuck in a rut using the same abilities, oddities and general mythology (example: vampires are hideous, blood-sucking, fearing the sun creatures) we'd be bored to death! Thank goodness writers are creative and willing to step out of the comfort zone/box to entertain us with a variety of storylines.

Bring on the baddies! The good guys (and gals) who beat the crap out of the baddies, we love you, too!

Acting out scenes in my book

2011-10-12T15:09:00.001-05:00

Yes, I do actually get off my chair and act out a few of the physical scenes in my novels. These tend to be fighting segments or figuring out where and how characters need to be standing, who's looking at who, etc. My husband is handy during some of those times when I need to step-by-step play out the motions of the characters. I'll read him the portion of the book that contains the scene HE needs to be able to picture in his mind, which means if he can see it like a movie playing out, then my readers should be able to, too. Then I'll pretend I'm a particular character and how they should be moving through their motions in the portion of the story I just read to my husband. He stands there, hopefully nodding his head "yes" that he can "see" it or adds his suggestions. Especially with the fight sequences. I haven't been widely known for my kick-buttedness, like say Buffy the Vampire Slayer, so there are those times when writing my stories that "some assembly is required." :)

Bring on the Creepy!

2011-10-04T14:05:00.005-05:00

Just posted this on my "other" blog: http://enterparanormal.blogspot.com
I wanted to post here, too, since I love this genre of entertainment and paranormal goodies in various forms is what I write about:

'American Horror Story' - Anticipating the Creepiness

I am so psyched for this new show - 'American Horror Story' - to premiere! Tune in to FX on Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 9:00 CENTRAL (my time).

Here's their official website:
http://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/originals/ahs/

Guess what? I just clicked on the link at the official website "About the Show" and I received an error message saying the site was too busy!! To check back later!! Does THAT tell you anything about the audience chomping at the bit to learn more about the show?!

Here's what the synopsis says:
American Horror Story revolves around the Harmons, a family of three who moved from Boston to Los Angeles as a means to reconcile past anguish. The all-star cast features Dylan McDermott as “Ben Harmon,” a psychiatrist; Connie Britton as “Vivien Harmon,” Ben’s wife; Taissa Farmiga as “Violet,” the Harmon’s teenage daughter; Jessica Lange in her first-ever regular series TV role as “Constance,” the Harmon’s neighbor; Evan Peters plays “Tate Langdon,” one of Ben’s patients; and Denis O’Hare as “Larry Harvey.” Guest stars for the series include Frances Conroy as the Harmon’s housekeeper; Alexandra Breckenridge as the Harmon’s housekeeper; and Jamie Brewer as Constance’s daughter.

The television previews first captured my attention a few months ago. At the time I had decided I already had too many other new shows (& returning shows) to watch for the fall/winter season. But seeing those previews/trailers over and over lured me in big time. Then I found myself reading about the show on the internet...then hearing early screening reviews announcing that the show was outstanding and a must-see finally had me hooked!

From what I understand, it is meant to creep you out, to shock you. After all, it IS titled 'American Horror Story'. Obviously this isn't everyone's cup of tea. I think it WILL be something different from other shows offered...kind of like a horror movie made into smaller segments for TV. One of the producers/creators commented how he liked the movies 'Halloween', 'Rosemary's Baby' and 'The Shining' and those movies have an influence on his style in creating the show. It definitely seems like it will be playing on viewer's emotions and giving them that spooky scary feeling while watching. Cool! Can't wait!

Bad Distraction, Bad!

2011-09-27T12:48:00.001-05:00

That title post doesn't sound like I've lost my mind at all, does it? Distractions are my downfall. They come in numerous forms, including a stray cat making itself at home on my back porch.

But the biggie is the internet. It sucks me into a black hole and spits me out hours later, although it feels like only thirty minutes have passed. Social networking on the bazillion different sites I have accounts with is fun. But hogs up valuable time that I should be writing my next novel. Don't get me wrong -- I said I enjoy interacting with people plus it's crucial for a writer to make others aware we and our books actually exist and would love readers to purchase them!! I simply (ha!) need to figure out how to do all that interacting/social networking/marketing and still have time to write a book. I have "fans" requesting when will the next book be available and I have no established, firm answer. Every time I set a goal, it gets shoved forward another month. Eeek!

I'm on Chapter 4 of my new series. It's coming along, but slow. I tend to edit as I write. I've tried to let it flow onto the paper, fast and furious, and to come back later to revise. I can't. Back to distractions...

So, I have tried mapping out blocks of time on certain days to write. You know, like a regular 5 day work week with 8 working hours per day. I have downloaded "timers" onto my computers. I set the timer for 30 minutes and do whatever I'm supposed to do during that time. I have two computers and am trying to use one for internetting and another for writing my books. I even moved the laptop to a different room, setting it up on a table as my workstation to write. I try to NOT visit all the different sites I have accounts with every single day. For example, MySpace (which isn't very popular anymore) I visit every couple of days. The same thing with LinkedIn. I used to write movie articles for Examiner.com - I quit doing that as I didn't think it was the most productive use of my time. I try to write one blog post per week instead of several. My emails -- I try to delete, delete, delete all the extra stuff I don't HAVE to read (I'm subscribed to all kinds of things). I try to keep my responses to emails and other messages shorter than what I used to (I tend to babble, can you tell?).

These are the majority of my actual examples I'm attempting to put into play to focus or allow more time to write! Are they working??? Some. But not every day. Like today.

Better go feed that stray cat now. She will hopefully find a new home soon (I'm working on it) and will be one less distraction for me :)~

Tentatively Chose Cover for Next Book

2011-09-17T15:26:00.002-05:00

I have tentatively chosen my cover art/image for the current book that I'm writing. Ah...another thing to distract me from doing what really needs to be done - which is to actually WRITE the book! I AM writing but I have managed to fall off the little choo-choo tracks once again. After clicking through hundreds (who knows? maybe thousands?) of images and spending six hours of precious (should've been writing) time at my favorite go-to site www.istockphoto.com , I jotted on paper 7 possibilities for the book cover (print and ebook) to my new Bigfoot Saga. Out of that batch, I am truly salivating over two of them. Whichever one I decide upon, will still need some tweaking to "incorporate a specific look" for the cover.

I have also come to the conclusion that due to my Master Micro-Organizing Skills (AKA Disorder), I spend more time organizing and planning things in my life than it sometimes takes to just DO those things and instead I end up losing/wasting enormous chunks of time writing out to-do lists! Trying to change and break the bad habits...

Recently I was prodded by a fan to hurry up and get the third book written in the Werewolf Series. It made me chuckle and does encourage me to keep at it. As soon as this Bigfoot paranormal thriller is complete & published (which this series I am self-publishing-so excited!!!) I promise to switch back to the Werewolf Series. After all, I can't leave everyone hanging...wondering how things will turn out for Kara...and Daniel...and Dominic :)

Looking forward to New TV Shows

2011-09-10T16:30:00.003-05:00

Cannot wait! Tons of NEW TV shows coming out for the 2011 Fall/Winter Season. It's impossible for me to watch all of them and still have some semblance of a life, but I'll be watching a few along with several returning shows, too (thankfully)!

Fall/Winter 2011 NEW TV Shows - Paranormal & SciFi:

"American Horror Story" (FX), Premieres: Wednesday, Oct. 5 at 10/9c
***Will be watching***

"A Gifted Man" (CBS), Premieres: Friday, Sept. 23 at 8/7c

***not watching***

"Grimm" (NBC), Premieres: Friday, Oct. 21 at 9/8c
***Will be watching***

"Once Upon a Time" (ABC), Premieres: Sunday, Oct. 23 at 8/7c

***not watching***

"The Secret Circle" (CW), Premieres: Thursday, Sept. 15 at 9/8c

***not watching***

"Terra Nova" (Fox), Premieres: Monday, Sept. 26 at 8/7c
***Will be watching***

Some other New Shows my husband & I will be checking out (not under Paranormal/SciFi): "New Girl", "The Playboy Club", "Ringer", "Whitney".

And finally, Returning TV Shows we'll watch (all categories): "Sons of Anarchy", "Survivor", "Bones", "The Vampire Diaries", "Fringe", "Supernatural" and "Being Human" (BBC version).

Mid-season "Alcatraz" and "The River" sound very interesting. We'll see...;)

'Finding Bigfoot'

2011-09-04T15:24:00.002-05:00

I posted the following on my other blog: http://enterparanormal.blogspot.com
Since I'm currently working on a Bigfoot paranormal series, I just had to include it here, too:

'Finding Bigfoot', on the Animal Planet, starring Matt Moneymaker. First, that dude needs to change his last name. NO ONE is going to think him to be serious or credible with that last name! My husband is sarcastically yelling, "Be sure to commit slander when you're posting that!" haha. I need to state that we do believe in Bigfoot...or whatever he is...BUT this TV show is just plain silly and lacks common sense when trying to find evidence of Bigfoot during location stake-outs. Let me explain:

1) Matt Moneymaker - he really should've used a different last name from the get-go (as I previously mentioned). Every time I see his name on the screen, I cringe. And I must mention the other man named BoBo. Hmmm...a bit unusual.
2) Being so noisy they may as well have been banging pots & pans together in the woods - not likely to find Bigfoot that way. Then again, if they found Bigfoot in the first episode, the stars would be out of a job.
3) Stomping around and talking is a big no-no (kind of repeating #2). I would assume the big furry guy has excellent hearing, so when they're saying, "What was that? Did you hear that?" Then the other person whispers so loudly, "What? Is that you?" that any nearby Bigfoot would be long gone.
4) Walkie-talkies emit noise. *screech, blip, TALK, blip, screech, beep, buzz* Are they purposefully trying to scare ALL the animals away?
5) There's a possibility the night vision equipment on their cameras and headgear could be visible to a Bigfoot. Who knows what kind of light spectrum different animals can see? Many animals can see in the dark. So as they are stomping about (making noise), the night vision light is bouncing in every which direction, possibly alerting creatures to flee. EEEEK!
6) What's with using an abbreviation for Sasquatch? I about puked when I heard "Squatch".
7) Hanging out one or two days/nights isn't giving them much of a chance to just happen to luck out and have a Bigfoot cross their path. Camp out in the designated spot for at least a week, preferably two weeks. Become part of the environment, blend in, and not stick out like a sore thumb...AND SHUT UP!

I am not stating I hate the show. It's interesting. I enjoy watching and learning more about Bigfoot. But when it comes to the stake-outs, obviously no one has explained to use stealth to their advantage!!

And during the last few minutes of the show, I look at my husband, smile and prepare myself...as sadly, the end results in finding Bigfoot evidence tend to scream at the viewer, which simultaneously I bellow with cupped hands at my mouth: "INCONCLUSIVE!"

Write, Research & Stuff

2011-08-29T17:02:00.000-05:00

MY Status: writing latest book on my Bigfoot paranormal, urban fantasy series; new research (time suck but fun) for book; pulled my lower back Sun AM (painful but pumped up on meds - can you say Tylenol #3 with codeine?), my little right broken toe is better (can't wear certain shoes yet) and tonight is Pizza & Movie Night - will be watching "Beastly".

Been reading "Origin" - J.A. Konrath. Finished Morgan Rice's "Destined, Book #4" last week. Lovin' my Nook :)

Watching some of 9/11 documentaries & memorials on TV lately...so sad & still shocking. I DO cry seeing all of it.

My books are now available for the Nook at B&N!

2011-08-23T14:10:00.000-05:00

My publisher has uploaded Unknown Touch and Unknown Scent to Barnes and Noble for the Nook as an additional purchase option besides the print version that's been available. Here are direct links to B&N:

Unknown Touch-Werewolf Series-Book 1

Unknown Scent-Werewolf Series-Book 2

Very excited about this additional option in today's environment with heavy focus on ebooks!! Love it!!

My latest movie article on 'Priest'

2011-08-23T14:03:00.000-05:00

With the large number of vampire, werewolf, demon-type movies, etc. that have been and will continue to be created, we tend to feel like we've "seen it all" and nothing new will cross our paths pertaining to storylines and characters and action sequences. Well. Priest impressed me, kept my full undivided attention and my husband never drifted off to sleep (that in itself means the movie was decent). Read entire article here:

http://www.examiner.com/speculative-fiction-in-st-louis/priest-on-dvd-vampires-that-are-not-cute-review

My Writing Updates-Werewolves, Vampires, Bigfoot - Oh My!

2011-08-13T16:34:00.001-05:00

Here's the latest on my writing endeavors:

1) I AM writing! It's slow, but coming along. I've been crazy distracted the last few months and low on motivation.

2) The current work-in-progress is a new series. I've spoken of it before, but to refresh: paranormal thriller, young-adult, urban fantasy -- a Bigfoot Saga. It's outlined in great detail, many many pages long. So don't say I have writer's block - the storyline is staring me in the face - I just need to take action and quit surfing the net so much...oops-I confessed to one of my sins aka "distractions." I engorge myself on knowledge and reading and marketing and research and ... well, you know.

3) I will return to the Unknown Touch-Werewolf Series (Book 3) ASAP...like once Book 1 in the Bigfoot Saga is completed.

4) I am SELF-PUBLISHING the Bigfoot Saga. I will focus on ebooks with Amazon Kindle, B&N Nook, Smashwords, possibly others. I will ALSO create a print version through Amazon's CreateSpace. I am very excited about this project!

5) I plan to keep the Werewolf Series with my current publisher - as long as they will "have" me. If not (meaning if they don't want to publish my future books - currently the Werewolf Series), don't worry, I'll self-publish them then.

6) These actions keep my foot (or feet!!) in "both doors". I maintain having a publisher for certain books plus I do my own self-publishing for other books!

7) I'll be writing way less Speculative Fiction Movie articles for Examiner.com now. Writing those articles takes up valuable time that should be spent writing my books. I can't give Examiner the significant amount of time needed to heavily promote my articles (in order to rack in tons of article views which would equal higher pay for me). There aren't enough hours in the day to write articles, write books, market/promote/social network for the books, take care of household stuff, etc., etc., etc.

8) I'm in the process of adjusting how I will move forward in my writing career. I'm not getting any younger. There are a few successful authors that I look up to and massively admire and respect. I've decided to not try and reinvent the wheel or keep flailing about in ten directions stretched out to the max. What's that expression? Something about...insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

9) I have found an accountability partner who will hopefully keep me in line and kick my butt when needed. And who I can bounce ideas off of (storylines, character flaws, dialogue, etc.)

10) Last...I came across this awesome program:
"Workrave is a program that assists in the recovery and prevention of Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI). The program frequently alerts you to take micro-pauses, rest breaks and restricts you to your daily limit." http://www.workrave.org/ Kim Komando (for those who've heard of her) recommends it...which means she checks it out for safety, performance, etc. http://www.komando.com/
And NO - I'm not getting any benefits by mentioning these two sites! But my wrists (mostly right one) hurt from typing and using the mouse and this program is neat in that it brings to my attention when I need to take a break. You set up your own time limits, etc. so it also helps keep you focused on a project.

That is all!

Fellow Writer Offers Detailed Tips for Building Author Platform

2011-08-10T14:45:00.000-05:00

My previous blog posting (Excerpt from Writing Speech: Author Platform & Cover Art, Post 6) caught the attention of Christina Katz who posted:

"Your readers might be interested in this article I wrote on the topic of fiction writing and platform. Hope it's helpful!"

http://www.writersdigest.com/writing-articles/by-writing-goal/get-published-sell-my-work/elements-of-a-successful-fiction-platform

I read it and agree that it does offer suggestions in great detail. Check it out! Thanks Christina!

Excerpt from Writing Speech: Author Platform & Cover Art, Post 6

2011-08-09T11:40:00.000-05:00

This is an ongoing topic -- it is the 6th and final excerpt from my writing speech:
~~~~~~
Remember, these are just my opinions and suggestions. Nothing is set in stone. Other writers could answer quite differently and argue with me over my answers. What works for one person may not work for another.
~~~

OK…next topic…I mentioned an author platform earlier which goes along with the question about social networking. YOU ABSOLUTELY MUST CREATE AN AUTHOR PLATFORM even if your book isn't completed!!! Now I'll amend that statement: Ask yourself WHY are you writing a book? Are you writing it for the joy and passion of writing, as a fun, creative hobby and are NOT that concerned with whether it ever gets published? OR do you plan on publishing it to earn a few bucks, or a lot of bucks, plus the joy of writing? If you want your book to be PUBLISHED AND FOR READERS TO KNOW THAT YOU AND YOUR BOOK EXIST AND YOU WANT IT TO BE BOUGHT AND READ AND TALKED ABOUT then you MUST CREATE AN AUTHOR PLATFORM! The author platform in general is used to impress agents and publishers. Portions of it are also used to interact with readers and draw attention to yourself. The platform includes any previous type of writing you've done: books; articles or stories in newspapers, magazines, anything to do with writing, editing, publishing, copyrighting, marketing in this field. And a ton of your author platform involves the internet: articles & online content you've written, actively blogging on specific sites, maintaining your own blog, having your own author website that you keep updated, possibly a bulletin board, newsletters. Your author platform involves building fans or friends or simply having a good number of decent contacts on: Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Goodreads, and maybe LinkedIn. (UPDATE: And now we have Google+ !)It's advantageous if you have a blog where you consistently write enticing, informative content and can start to build a base of followers. But you also want to come across as a real, live person with other interests in life besides just trying to chat about your book. If you don't throw in other off-topic comments a little here and there, people will be turned off by the constant advertising of your books in their face. WHY, you ask, is it so important to have an author platform? Because, as I stressed earlier, if your goal is to SELL your books, people have to know you and your book EXIST! That's especially critical if you're with a small publishing house and they are limited on how much they market your book. Of course, your book needs to be entertaining and well-written, but FEW people will know about it until you build a base of contacts and friends you can CHAT with or post to about your book & your writing endeavors. That's assuming you want people to BUY your book! Hopefully some WILL get excited about your book, purchase it, love it and then tell others about it – word of mouth advertising!! An author platform shows people - which could be your prospective agent, publisher or current and future fans of your books –it shows off your books and projects, credentials, talents, references, interests, your influence, your involvement in the writing field, your quantity and quality of contacts and efforts made to increase your contacts and that you are serious about networking to aid in your endeavor to succeed as an author.

The internet is your friend and enemy. The points I just covered explain how it is your friend. The internet can become your enemy easily, as it is a gargantuan time suck. Occasionally I'll set timers to ring so I don't play around on the internet too long. And even they don't always work – because I ignore them.

So, don't be afraid to set up accounts on the main social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter and get a blog going at Blogger.com. Your blog, if set up properly, can even serve as your author's website! Track down people you already know and Friend or Like or Follow them…Start looking for other authors to connect with. Find blogs that discuss the genre you write in or cover a subject you write about. Post comments. Make friends. Invite them to your blog or Facebook page, etc.

The last topic is cover art. Many different situations or agreements or contracts could affect how cover art is dealt with. In MY situation, with my publisher, I was able to choose my own cover art for my book. I also had an option to use their artist for free to create the book's cover. I really like photo images, though. At least for what I felt I wanted the cover of my book to portray. And honestly, I did work with two, young, local artists who drew covers for me. Both were drawings that didn't quite turn out the way I wanted the cover to look. The second artist explained that what I was seeking would probably have to be done with paints. And she didn't do that. And I was staring at a deadline of one day left to submit my chosen book cover to the publisher. She suggested using a photo from an online site that sells images. I purchased photos from that particular site and that's where my covers for my books came from! Both photos were tweaked for the covers to get the right look. From what I understand, many publishers assume the responsibility of creating the cover art for you and send it to you for approval. A lot of authors are at a complete loss for what to do about covers, which is why publishers handle that for them. I'm sure in many cases, though, the authors who DO have ideas for their own cover make suggestions and go from there. Their ideas could be shot down or happily embraced by the publisher.

So, cover art is something that may not be determined until you decide if you're going with an agent/publisher and if THEY'LL choose the book cover or if you'll have any input in design, like I did with mine. It doesn't hurt to have ideas, sketches, or photos set aside of what you like. That way you know in advance how you want the cover to look, maybe some feature that you specifically really want on it…Just don't spend days and days dwelling over it, though, and then later discover your publisher has complete control on that issue and makes their own decision, possibly with no input from you.

Of course, if you're self-publishing, it's all up to you, baby! You're in control!

~~~~~Note: I do NOT know everything there is to know about publishing. These are simply my experiences and opinions. This is the last segment/posting of my writing speech.

'Rise of the Planet of the Apes' Weekend Success-Apes Rock! - my latest article

2011-08-08T15:12:00.002-05:00

Rise of the Planet of the Apes premiered in the Number One spot at the box office this weekend with $54 Million (August 5-7, 2011). That was about $15 million to $20 million more than analysts expected. It was still below the $68.5 million opening of Tim Burton's Planet of the Apes remake 10 years ago. Read full article:

http://www.examiner.com/speculative-fiction-in-st-louis/rise-of-the-planet-of-the-apes-weekend-success-apes-rock

Yes, I wrote a different article about this film a few months ago. But since it just released & is having so much awesome success (and I LOVE the original Planet of the Apes) I wanted to write another article. So exciting!

Excerpt from My Speech: Submissions, Agents/Publishers/Self-Pub-Post 5

2011-08-04T16:46:00.001-05:00

This is an ongoing topic -- 5th excerpt posting from my writing speech:
~~~~~~
Remember, these are just my opinions and suggestions. Nothing is set in stone. Other writers could answer quite differently and argue with me over my answers. What works for one person may not work for another.
~~~

Back in the summer of 2009, I found my lists of who to submit to at www.writersmarket.com. They are legit. I chose to deal directly with publishers at that time and skip the agent route. Whether you choose to find an agent or a publisher, and whether you use the lists at writersmarket.com or elsewhere, you need to figure out what your genre is & search out the agents or publishers who are interested in only your genre. Do NOT blindly submit to everyone out there. If your book is sci-fi then don't submit a query to someone who represents romance. You're wasting your time & theirs.

I literally searched through 750 publishers at writersmarket.com. Through a process of elimination, I narrowed the list down to 30 or so. A lot of the choices were easy to cross off simply from the name of the publishing house. Many names were so obvious as to what they published and I knew they wouldn't be a match with my category of writing. Still, this takes many, many hours to go through. I think I spent over 2 days just picking out possible publishers.

Once you have picked good candidates and have a more workable list, you'll need to scan each of those agents or publishers for more detailed information. Sometimes what you need is posted right there with all the listings, but probably you'll need to go directly to individual websites and double-check that they have an interest in what YOU write, and if they are CURRENTLY taking any submissions, and EXACTLY how they want your submission sent to them and what it should include – plus if they'll (hopefully) take email submissions or require it be sent regular mail.

Once I had dwindled down to which publishers I would actually submit to, I ended up with only about 15. This was the best of the bunch that suited my situation. I knew I could go back to the list and try others later if those got me nowhere. And the publishers I picked - I didn't have to send any of my submissions by regular mail. All the query letters were emailed – some included the synopsis, some chapters, some the full manuscript. If you're lucky, a note might state how long it takes to hear back from them. It's shocking! Some warn it could be over a year or two!!!!! I didn't contact ANY that stated it could be over 5 months before I'd hear back from them. That's just me – I'm impatient. Keep track of the people or places you sent submissions to. And you will get rejection letters. Some never respond.

With my experience, a couple of weeks after I sent off those initial submissions, one publisher in particular asked that I send him the full manuscript by email. Then he contacted me only a few days later and basically wanted to publish my book. He sent a contract, I read and thought it over along with several other people I enlisted for guidance, and decided to sign. My publisher is a very small publishing house. I like them and it's only taken a few months to get a book published. I haven't had any real problems & I'm allowed a great deal of input in the process of publishing my books… BUT because of how small they are, they cannot afford & don't have the time or manpower to constantly be marketing my books.They do take care of some basic promoting and press releases when the book is first released and setting up at internet sites for the book to sell at – example would be Amazon.com.

Being involved in promoting your book is something most publishers and agents EXPECT an author to do – even the big ones expect authors to do some kind of marketing in this day and age. It's never-ending and another monster topic all to itself. Bookstores, what few there are, want to stock books that will move quickly off their shelves from known authors and bigger publishers and authors that have had tons of media attention. They don't like taking chances on books that sit and gather dust from authors that few readers are familiar with when those bookstores financially do not bring in massive profits. My books are for sale at all the major online sites where you can buy books (like Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books A Million, thru my publisher), and from me, and they're currently stocked at Box TV and Walgreens in Highland.

OK…back to agents vs. publishers vs. self-publishing. Agents normally get 15% commission off book sales (although I'm sure that varies some). They are supposed to make your life easier by representing you and your book and being the one who deals with getting your book sold to a publisher for the best deal and to handle all the confusing contracts that are drawn up between everybody. But the agent has their own contract with YOU that you're still going to need to review. You want to really know your agent, do research on them, and understand the terms of their contract. Some agents lose interest in your work and don’t try to promote it as they should or fall short on the whole multi-step process of getting your book published. You see – there's a chain of people involved in getting a book published the traditional way. YOU the writer, an agent (if you go that route), the publisher, editor (or sometimes agents work with editors first on your book & then it's off to the publishers or perhaps your agent also steps in and does the job of an editor, too), the printer, publicists, distributors and bookstores or other wholesalers who can finally sell the retail book to a reader. Whew! Are you sweating yet?!

For my situation, several of those steps are not in the mix. So, as I was saying about an agent, if you choose to pursue one, you want to do your research on them, hope you get a decent one who is as passionate about your work as you are and maintain good communication with them, and keep them fired up about your current book she's representing and any of your future projects. If the agent is doing her job properly and your book is making progress out in the big, wide world, her commission is most likely worth it.

Also, many publishers won't even take a glance in your direction if you don't have an agent. This can be a problem if you chose to bypass an agent and you had your heart set on a certain publisher and then discover – nope, they do NOT take unsolicited submissions – which usually means you HAVE to have an agent that submits on your behalf. Submission guidelines will state this for you – whether you have to have an agent or if an author can submit and deal directly with the publisher. If you forego an agent, and the publisher will accept queries/submissions from an author, then YOU will deal with the contract that is written up by the publisher - or your lawyer if you choose. Again, it IS a contract so be sure to understand what you're signing and that the publisher isn't trying to swindle any type of royalties that should be in your pocket instead of theirs. Some publishers, especially mid-size and larger, will offer more services that automatically come with having them as your publisher, but the smaller the publisher, the more extras YOU will have to step up to the plate and help out with.

Another thought – if you go the agent route –your manuscript actually has to impress someone TWICE to get published. FIRST – an agent that you're trying to capture, and SECOND - THEY have to capture the attention of a publisher. This can be an excruciating process that takes many months if not years until a book is finally published. So, if you manage to land an agent, that does NOT always mean your agent is already working with a publisher who will automatically accept and publish your book. Many times, your agent has to go through a similar process that you went through in getting him/her as they try to FIND a publisher interested in your book.

Self-publishing is something 2 years ago I had zero interest in. The publishing industry has changed so fast and so much since then, I am now all for self-publishing. My next book, in a different series, WILL be self-published using Amazon.com's services. I will offer the book in paperback format but will focus promoting it more so in the Kindle ebook format. I will also upload it on Barnes and Noble and Smashwords as an ebook. The reason I'm going the way of self-publishing for this new series is that although I don't have any issues with my publisher, I feel I can do the publishing myself with what is available now. In a way, I'm already playing the part of agent, partial editor and publicist! As mentioned previously, there is minimal promotion that my publisher can offer, especially once the book has been published for a month or so. I completely understand their limitations with promoting my books and am not cutting them down. In fact, I am pleased with their quality and service with what they can offer me.

Another MAIN, HUGE reason I'm switching to self-publishing with the new series is the amount of money I can pocket is drastically higher than the royalties (or commissions or profit) I'm currently making with a publisher. Also, I can set the price of my ebooks on Amazon to a lower price. The process to format my manuscript into an ebook is smoother and has become less complicated over the last year, too. I love working on computers and enjoy marketing, so I'm actually looking forward to creating an ebook!

And another thing with self-publishing, the final product, the book – is made available to the public much faster than all the waiting that is common in traditional publishing. Again, I admit – I'm impatient. I can also have a lower price on the paperback books, compared to what my publisher charges, and I'll make the paperbacks available through Amazon's CreateSpace.

~~~~~

Note: I do NOT know everything there is to know about publishing. These are my experiences and opinions so don't anyone throw rotten tomatos at me!! Another segment from my speech will be posted in a few days!

My latest movie article on '11-11-11'

2011-08-02T15:53:00.000-05:00

'11-11-11' (2011)

Horror | Thriller - To be released in theaters on November 11, 2011 (USA) - bet you would've never guessed that!

A horror-thriller set on 11:11 on the 11th day of the 11th month and concerning an entity from another world that enters the earthly realm through Heaven's 11th gate.

There is internet chatter about the meaning of that date, stirring up much curiosity. Read full article...
http://www.examiner.com/speculative-fiction-in-st-louis/11-11-11-2011

Interview with an Aspiring 16 Year Old Writer

2011-08-01T16:35:00.004-05:00

INTERVIEW WITH AN ASPIRING 16 YEAR OLD WRITER

Let's welcome to the blog my guest, Alex Kuhn. He's a young writer bursting with creativity and who displays a talent meshing ideas and words into stories. Alex is currently working on a new project that will become his debut novel. So keep his name in mind for future reading. I hope you enjoy the Q and A session below!

GINA: Alex, can you tell us a little about yourself?

ALEX: I am a 16 year old male. I would call myself a "guy", not an "author" at this point, since I haven't finished a book, yet... I live in the southern Illinois area in a small town about 28 Miles from St. Louis, Missouri. I LOVE to play video games such as: Legend of Zelda, Mario, and my personal favorite, POKEMON!! I have been known as the "Video Game King" to some of my friends! I honestly wouldn't consider that a great thing to be called, seeing as I have over 3000 hours on the Pokemon series since about 2004! I think that's enough time to write a book. Something I absolutely HATE is when people use the word retard – it is a disease that many people laugh at, rather than care about. Also, I usually write with no idea of what I'm going to write about. I just sit there, staring blankly at the screen and eventually something comes to my mind and gets me going!!

GINA: Do you have any links or methods for people to contact you that you'd like to share?
ALEX: http://alexmkuhn.webs.com
GINA: And I'd like to note that this is a new site recently created, so it's under construction.

GINA: When did you realize you wanted to write a book? Even when you were little, were you making up stories then?

ALEX: I was usually told I was good at either poetry or writing stories since I was little and I don't mean to suck up, but...it was Gina Marie Long that inspired me! I read on the back of her book that she was from the same area as me. I thought,"Hey! If I'm good at writing, maybe I could type up a story and see if it was possibly "publishing" material!" Later, I found that my mother went to school with her, too! That helped me become her friend!

GINA: What genre/category do you write about?

ALEX: I like to write about the supernatural and paranormal. But I keep switching around which story I'm writing because I'm getting so many ideas. It will probably be similar to Gina's books which would fall under the urban fantasy, paranormal, young adult genre.

GINA: Can you give us a little hint on what you're currently writing about?

ALEX: I can't really choose yet what I'm going to focus on. I keep switching between different stories and ideas to see which seems the best. I have typed up notes, brief outlines and even partial chapters on stories with vampires, werewolves and other paranormal subjects.

GINA: Do you have any favorite authors or favorite books?

ALEX: I'm pretty sure almost everybody has heard of my favorite book series: Harry Potter. I also enjoy the books Gina Long's writing. And I hope to aid Gina in her fight against boring books!!
GINA: Awesome!

GINA: Any favorite TV shows?

ALEX: I don't really watch TV much other than the news. But I'd have to say the Full-Metal Alchemist series. It's a pretty interesting show. I'd recommend it to people who may watch shows that use a few cuss words!

GINA: Did you create an outline and notes for the book you're writing or do you just dive in writing, wing it and not have a clue what happens next?

ALEX: I type up a bit of an outline for a chapter or two, write from that outline, then create another outline for the next few chapters and write from there.

GINA: What part of writing DON'T you like?

ALEX: Well, I don't like WRITING but I do like to TYPE the stories! And I really don't like how my computer "suggests" words for me to use. I prefer to do things MY way!

GINA: What's your FAVORITE part of writing?

ALEX: I think I like creating stories because it is a productive way to kill time.

GINA: When reading another author's book, is there anything a writer does that drives you crazy? Or something that might make you completely give up reading a book?

ALEX: The book can't be boring. It's hard for me to explain what I consider to be boring about a book...but I won't really give up on reading a book unless it's my Algebra book! Most books are boring at some point, but as you keep reading, they usually get better.

GINA: When is your best time to write? Day, night, weekdays, weekends?

ALEX: Anytime that is considered my free time.

GINA: What are your thoughts on the e-reader/e-book explosion?

ALEX: I think it's ok to have an e-reader and e-book collection but if you aren't careful with it, you might lose all of your books. I think it's better to have the real books because of what I just mentioned and also the physical books can be reused by giving them away and recycled.
~~~~~~~~~~~

GINA: Five Flash QUESTIONS – ALEX, ONLY ANSWER WITH: YES, NO or SOMETIMES for the next 5 questions:

1) Do you read book reviews?

ALEX: No

2) Do you think a book's title helps to sell a book?

ALEX: Yes

3) Can a book's cover alone capture your attention enough to make you consider picking it up or seeing what it's about?
ALEX: Yes

4) Do you watch book trailers?

ALEX: No

5) Do you or do you know if your friends go to book signings?

ALEX: No
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GINA: What is your favorite food? Favorite drink? (Gotta have something off-the-wall here!!)

ALEX: Food: Pizza and my favorite drink? I LOVE soda, just about any kind!

And now a big round of applause for Alex Kuhn! [*clapping, cheers!!*] Thanks again Alex for taking the time to be "interrogated" and providing great answers and insight that come from the mind of a young writer. I wish you the very best of luck with your writing adventures!!

Excerpt from Speech: Agent vs. Publisher vs. Self-Pub, Post 4

2011-07-30T10:19:00.000-05:00

The next question or topic was about making the choice between an agent or to submit directly to a publisher or to self-publish. I cannot say, "DO IT THIS WAY ONLY." It's totally a personal choice and plain luck plays a huge part in the outcome. Questions to ask yourself: Do you know anyone in the writing business (such as: an agent, a publisher, someone who works for those people or places that could be on your side to help you) and if so that may be a deciding factor to push you one direction or the other. Consider: How you prefer to work WITH others, how much time, effort, possibly money you're able to devote, your marketing know-how, the technical and computer skills you possess, the length of time you're willing to wait for an agent or publisher to offer you a contract – to represent you (WHICH FOR SOME AUTHORS – NEVER HAPPENS), if you're going to submit directly to publishers are you only going to deal with the "big time" publishers or will you be happy with a small publishing house, and how long you want to wait until the book actually gets published…Those are not in any particular order but they are all things you need to ask yourself in making the decision to submit to either an agent or a publisher or to choose to self-publish.

YOU should NEVER HAVE to pay anything out of your pocket to an agent or publisher. IF you choose to purchase your own books to have some in stock to sell, well of course you'll PAY for the books (although usually the publisher will give you a set number of free copies) but to have an agent or publisher represent you and all that they do – you do NOT pay them a dime.

If you choose to self-publish, any & all costs WILL come out of your pocket. Depending on which company you self-publish through, the expenses can range from very low to ridiculously high. BUT, using Amazon as an example, the cost is extremely minimal. To setup your book on Amazon is about $20- $30. Now, for the cover art, it depends on what you plan on using because you could use something of your own creation – which costs nothing - or fork over hundreds of dollars for someone to design something. Or anything in between. Another example: you may choose to PAY someone to edit your book. Or maybe you know people who'll do it for free. Marketing is another area of self-publishing: will you PAY for a publicist OR decide to handle the marketing yourself or do you know people who will help for free?

See what I'm getting at? As an author, there are many different avenues you can take in the pursuit of getting your book published. There is no right or wrong way. There are no "set in stone" costs or expenses that affect every single author the exact same way.

From what I've researched, don't submit to both agents AND publishers at the same time. Pick either agents or publishers, unless of course you're self-publishing. If after a lengthy period of time one option doesn't work, you can switch to the other. And so much keeps changing in the publishing industry it makes your head spin! I even read that some agents are like a hybrid – multi-performing – especially when it comes to ebooks -- taking on the duties of an editor, publicist and they do all the work to format & upload your book to the internet. Getting back to hunting down an agent or a publisher -- Now here's where something can you bite you in the butt: I've heard that if you start out with publishers THEN switch to agents, it could get dicey, because IF you land an agent and THEY start to submit to publishers on your behalf, because they're now representing you, – well – if the agent ends up submitting to any of the SAME publishers YOU'VE already made an attempt with, chances are, your name & book title will be tossed out because that publishing house will recognize you and will see that they had previously decided that they're NOT interested. Another thing – AGENTS don't like the fact your manuscript has been shopped around. So, to expand on that a bit: if you've been sending your queries to publishers (some of which may have requested your manuscript) but after a period of time you hit a dead end with the publishing houses then decide to try the agent route, the agents who show an interest in your work just might flat out ask you if you've already submitted to publishers. You don't want to lie and get caught in the lie later…so you tell the prospective agent – "Sure, I've been in contact with 10 publishers who all rejected it." That agent is going to say, "PASS!" Whereas, if you start out with an agent and they promote your fresh-unseen manuscript to publishers, you might have a better chance that a publisher will be interested in your book...because they've never seen it yet. The way I just described it, the problem arises when you decide to switch from seeking one type of representation to another form = as in an agent to publishers or vice versa.

Confusing, huh?! It REALLY is a personal choice whether you choose to have an agent represent you or submit directly to publishers or strike out on your own to self-publish.

~~~~~~
The next segment from my speech continues on the topic of agents vs. publishers vs. self-publishing. Should post in a few days. Thanks!

My latest movie article: 'Strigoi: The Undead' - on DVD

2011-07-29T13:52:00.000-05:00

My latest movie article on 'Strigoi: The Undead' (DVD):

Synopsis: After failing to start a life of his own, 20-something Vlad is forced to move back to his grandfather’s old farming village in Romania. Though the village seems like a typical Eastern European haven, a mysterious death suddenly thrusts Vlad into the heart of a murder mystery. As he sets out to investigate, his trail leads him to the Tirescus — an ex-Communist couple who happen to be the richest landowners in town. Though Vlad is determined to confront the Tirescus, his quest takes a detour when he learns that the two bullies may be bloodsuckers in more ways than one…

This is considered a dark comedy, strangely, with a different type of vampire mythology.

Read full article here:
http://www.examiner.com/speculative-fiction-in-st-louis/strigoi-the-undead

Excerpt about Submissions from Speech, Post 3

2011-07-27T15:06:00.000-05:00

Some other points to remember that go along with query letters and submissions: You should create a synopsis and have it ready before starting to query agents or publishers because sure enough, someone WILL request a 1 – 2 page synopsis - and it's very convenient to have it already prepared to send off at any given time. Be sure to follow any instructions on how that particular agent or publisher wants submissions/synopsis to be formatted - that info should be found at the website. An example would be that double-spacing is the norm for a synopsis – but NOT the query letter. SAVE all the original documents you create & you can always adjust it, or make a separate copy to alter, to meet specific requirements of whomever you're submitting it to. That goes for the query letter, the synopsis, the manuscript, the first 3 chapters, etc.

By the way, within the query letter, that "hook" I mentioned, in case you're unfamiliar with the term, is really just an incredibly short synopsis or summarization of the book! Sometimes it's called a teaser.

Also, pick 1 or 2 excerpts from the book that are about a page long. They shouldn't be spoilers, but make sure they capture the reader's attention making them wonder what happens next. An excerpt might be requested by an agent or publisher (although usually not). Not only that, but excerpts are fantastic to use for marketing and creating excitement about your book right before and after it's published.

Make sure the entire manuscript is formatted properly – using the standard recommendations found at those websites I mentioned. (A few examples: Hopefully as you wrote your book you didn't use the TAB key, but instead used settings that will automatically indent the first line after a hard return – like when you're ready to start a new paragraph. Another example: unless the submission guidelines request something different, use Times New Roman, 12. And margins are usually 1" all around. These are only a few of the standard rules of thumb in formatting a manuscript – these aren't "law".) Some agents/publishers could request the manuscript be formatted a "specific" way so perhaps save another copy of your manuscript to play with and make those adjustments. I think I had 2 or 3 different formatted versions of my manuscript saved to my computer.

Speaking of saving – make sure you backup your work in whatever method you prefer – CD, USB Flash Drive, separate external hard drive or online backup. I use a flash drive AND backup online at Windows Live Skydrive. Just backup!

~~~~~~~~
The next excerpt from my speech will be about making the choice between an agent or to submit directly to a publisher or to self-publish.

True Blood Recap - June 24, 2011

2011-07-26T11:51:00.002-05:00

I watched one of my favorite shows Sunday night - True Blood. I jotted down notes for the entire show...my own little attempt at creating a recap or giving a play-by-play of what happened in that episode. Whew! That was WORK especially when I had to type it up from my scribblings! Not sure that I'll do that again as it took away from my own entertainment and enjoyment of the show since I was feverishly writing in a notebook. Anyway, it provided some fun content for my blog...and now...

True Blood, Sunday, July 24, 2011 - "Me and the Devil"

RECAP:

Tommy gets into a brawl with his parents and ends up killing them. He didn't intend on killing his mother, but she ran into the middle of the fight and was a casualty. I hated that creepy Joe Lee - walking around in his baggy underwear.

Marnie admits to a witch spirit possessing her and casting spells on Eric and Pam.

After Arlene's baby (or the ghost of Rene, the baby's father) wrote on the wall, Terry suggests they call the Reverend for an exorcism.

Eric dreams of Godric pushing him to drink Sookie's blood and embrace his true vampire nature. That's freaky since Godric is dead - and this isn't the first time such a vivid form of Godric has appeared to Eric. The Dream Godric seems evil compared to the one that was alive. Eric discovers he's in Sookie's room, she awakens and wonders what the heck he's doing there. He said, "I had a bad dream." And Sookie lets him stay with her in bed till the sun comes up.

Hoyt and Jessica have saved Jason. Well, Jessica actually did after finding him almost dead on the road and she gave him her healing blood. Hoyt and Jessica have an awkward moment when she acts "distant" to his affection.

Bill glamours Portia, who is his great, great, great (you get the point) granddaughter as a means to keep her away from him. It didn't seem to bother her to continue a sexual relationship with Bill, knowing that they were related. Bill clearly wanted nothing to do with her anymore.

Eric asks Sookie: "Am I evil?' She comments that he was but she likes the new Eric. He's sweet.

Pam waltzes into Bill's office looking like a beekeeper in order to conceal her rotting flesh - courtesy of Marnie/witch spirit's spell.

Lafayette and Jesus are going to Jesus' Grandpa's place in Mexico. He's a shaman. Jesus talked about a goat sacrifice he was involved in as a child with his Grandpa. He felt power surging through his body from that sacrifice and knows his Grandpa might be able to help them with the spells cast upon Eric (who currently doesn't even know he's ticked off at them) and Pam. Lafayette and Jesus, being involved with the witches, are terrified the vampires will come after them to seek revenge.

Tara's girlfriend in New Orleans discovers that Tara has been lying to her about her identity. They talk on the phone.

Tommy brings his dead parents to Sam and needs help in disposing of the bodies.

Jason tells Hoyt about being raped by several women and thinks his past lifestyle is to blame. Jason hears mention of a full moon coming soon and flips out.

Terry and Arlene have the Reverend Daniels and Tara's mom, Lettie Mae, who is now married to the Reverend, perform the exorcism in the house. We learn evil likes to hide in corners.

Sookie visits Marnie's shop to check her out. Sookie claims she wants a reading. Marnie senses Gran and Sookie can hear the thoughts. Gran says Sookie's new love interest is temporary, to look out for Jason and that Marnie is evil and Sookie should run.

Sam and Tommy have their parents bodies in a van and are driving somewhere to dump them. But Andy pulls them over and insists on seeing inside the van. Tommy shapeshifts into a gator to throw Andy off and stops him from inspecting the back of the van. Andy doesn't see the bodies.

Marnie is apprehended by Bill's men and taken to a cell to be interrogated.

Tara tells Sookie about the lesbian relationship she has in New Orleans and how she hates Bon Temps. She tells Sookie how she has lied to her girlfriend about who she is.

While in her cell, Marnie prays to the witch goddess and has a vision. She sees witches in prison, priests arrive to visit the witches, but guess what the priests are? Vampires.

Confrontation between Eric and Tara. He emerged from his hiding place in Sookie's house and Tara sees him and screams - telling Sookie she's a hypocrite. Tara condemns Eric for the many terrible things he's done and runs out the door.

Bill questions Marnie about the witches, curses and spells; in particular wondering where is Eric? Marnie doesn't know crap.

Lafayette and Jesus get to Jesus's Grandpa's house and Gramps says to them, "I've been expecting you."

Alcide gets a visit from the Packmaster for that vicinity he's living in. The Packmaster is not a happy camper that Alcide has not registered with the pack. Alcide tells the Packmaster to take a hike.

Sam and Tommy dump their parents' dead bodies into a swamp. Sam tosses in marshmallows to draw the gators up to the surface at which time they can chow down on the dead bodies. Tommy feels guilty. Sam confesses he's killed two people who robbed him and says Tommy killed the parents in self-defense or an act of war.

Terry and Arlene go to bed and assume all is well with the baby and ridding the house of any ghosts or evil. Except a book of matches ignites out of the blue. That's not good.

Since Jason drank Jessica's blood, they have a bond and she enters his dreams and seduces him. Hoyt pops up in the dream, too, freaking out Jason.

Eric asks Sookie if he really did all those bad things Tara accused him of. She said yes, but he's different now. Eric said: "There's a light in you and I couldn't bare it if I snuffed it out." He takes off and Sookie runs after him…shouting to not go. He returns to her then they KISS!

Bill has a meeting with his sheriffs, still wondering where the hell is Eric and figures the witches are behind it. Vampires throughout history have always held important, powerful roles in high places of society. We learn that Marnie's goddess and the spirit that possesses her was a sorceress and necromancer named Antonia. At one time, she commanded a power that made vampires walk out into the sun and die. Some want to kill Marnie but Bill insisted no human casualties. Pam is visibly upset and lets something slip…Pam and Sookie had a deal that Pam was to keep her mouth shut about Eric hiding out at Sookie's…but Pam's loose lips reveal that Eric's memory has been erased. Bill forces Pam to tell him where Eric is at…Sookie's. Bill races out of the house and we assume he's zooming to Sookie's place. Soooomebodyyyyy's in troooouble… ;)

My latest article on The Amazing Spider-Man

2011-07-25T15:38:00.002-05:00

The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) Tidbits

Action | Adventure | Thriller - Not due to be released until July 3, 2012 (USA) in theaters.

Stars: Andrew Garfield, Irrfan Khan, Denis Leary

TRIVIA:
>In early January 2010, Sony announced that they canceled their idea of making Spider-Man 4 with director Sam Raimi and actor Tobey Maguire, who started their work together on Spider-Man, and instead decided to re-boot the Spider-Man franchise with a new crew.

Read full article here:
http://www.examiner.com/speculative-fiction-in-st-louis/the-amazing-spider-man-2012-tidbits

Excerpt about Query Letters from Speech, Post 2

2011-07-24T14:04:00.000-05:00

Recently, I gave a one hour speech to a writing group and have decided to post segments of it here over the next few weeks. All of the speech is in response to questions I had received in advance and then prepared my answers for the group. This is Post 2 of the speech on my blog.

Remember, these are just my opinions and suggestions. Nothing is set in stone. Other writers could answer quite differently and argue with me over my answers. What works for one person may not work for another.

On to the question about query letters…First, I'm going to suggest several websites you MUST visit! Soak up as much knowledge as you can. All of these sites have awesome information and examples of everything pertaining to writing and publishing. They are wonderful!! And you may be well aware of them already! www.guidetoliteraryagents.com and www.writersmarket.com, www.bookmarket.com and http://jakonrath.blogspot.com. Note that Writersmarket is a subscription based – as in a fee – website & I'm not sure how much is accessible without subscribing. Another thing – subscribe to an actual writing magazine. I LOVE Writer's Digest! And I just recently subscribed to Poets & Writers and am awaiting the first issue!

Back to query letters - Honestly, you shouldn't even worry about a query letter until you have written the complete book. Get it done first. Then seriously proofread and revise it. Now, if you're writing NON-fiction, sometimes you don't have to have the book completed to send out query letters – and non-fiction books usually will involve a proposal, too. I'm not familiar with proposals since I write fiction.

I composed my query letter using examples from guidetoliteraryagents.com and writersmarket.com. GOOD query letters should include: WHY you're contacting them specifically and that you're requesting representation, the title of your manuscript, the word count, the genre or genres of your book, a short hook or summary about the novel (not more than a few sentences), where you've been published (and if nowhere, then DON'T bring that subject up), what kind of author platform you have built-up (Are you aware of what the term author platform means?! That's one of the topics coming up), also, if the book is a series mention that, a request to send them other materials (which could mean THE actual manuscript or maybe the first 3 chapters). Also the query letter should be one page.

If you're sending a query letter, then you have the place and possibly a person's name to address it to. If there are ANY instructions they've posted on sending query letters – FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS EXACTLY. They may request up front a 1 or 2 page synopsis – which creating one of those is another topic in itself! Or they may want the first chapter up to three chapters sent with the query letter. Even those chapters need to be formatted properly to submit. And the agent or publisher you're submitting to should have posted exactly what to send, how they want any additional items formatted, whether they prefer snail mail or email.

Again, I highly recommend visiting those websites I've mentioned, as all the suggestions, standard examples and specifics are readily available to assist you in creating a query letter, a synopsis, a hook plus oodles more.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That's it for today! I'll post another segment from my speech within a few days and it will be more info about Submissions. Happy Writing and Reading!!!

My latest article on Cowboys & Aliens

2011-07-22T14:00:00.002-05:00

My latest article on Cowboys & Aliens. The trailer captures my attention & overall, the movie intrigues me as something "different"...

Cowboys & Aliens (2011)

A spaceship arrives in Arizona, 1873, to take over the Earth, starting with the Wild West region. A posse of cowboys are all that stand in their way.

PG-13, 118 min - Action | Sci-Fi | Thriller - July 29, 2011 (USA) in Theaters.

Stars: Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford and Olivia Wilde

Trivia: Daniel Craig was chosen because of his distinct likeness to Yul Brynner, who starred in the cowboy epic The Magnificent Seven.

Read full article here with more trivia, movie links, full synopsis:
http://www.examiner.com/speculative-fiction-in-st-louis/cowboys-aliens

How I Got Started in Writing

2011-07-21T12:06:00.001-05:00

About one month ago, I gave a speech to a writing group about, what else, WRITING! I've decided to post segments of the speech over the next few weeks. It's rather lengthy - almost one hour to give the speech, so that is why I'll be offering you bits and pieces of it instead of cramming all of it into one huge post. All of the speech is in response to questions I had received in advance and then prepared my answers for the group.

I began the speech by telling them (since they asked):

First, how I got started with writing: To summarize, back in high school I got A’s on essays with positive notes scribbled in the margins from the teachers. Even then, I felt I had some potential. I've always enjoyed reading, too, and toyed with writing over the years, but didn’t fully commit myself to writing a full-fledged novel until 2009. I had owned/operated a beauty salon in Marine for 16 years and sold it last June. During the last year of operating my shop, THAT was when I wrote and published my first book. I sold the shop because I was burned out doing hair, sick and tired of the business end of it and wanted a change in my life. After selling, and taking a 5 month break, I decided I would try my best to make writing my career in some form or fashion. In March of this year, my second book was published. I'm currently working on a third book. I also write weekly speculative fiction articles for Examiner.com. I’ve given myself two years (for financial reasons) to attain a legitimate, modest but income-producing career in some area of the writing field, whether it's books or not. And I'm still working on that goal…I have one year left.
~~~~~
Now, something I want to add that wasn't part of the speech...I remember in my pre-teen & early teen years reading a lot. That resulted in a huge bookcase packed full of books. I couldn't have been more than 13 years old and came up with the idea to have my own library that I would loan books out to my family and friends. Long's Little Library was created! I think I had a mere 3 people borrow books! But my entrepreneur days had begun! In addition, I wrote to pen pals all over the U.S. and maybe a few outside the States. I know at one point, I corresponded with at least 30 pen pals and spent many, many hours a week writing to them and reading their letters. Another fun activity I played around with as a kid for about a year was typing a newsletter that basically contained stories from teen magazines! I think I mailed my little newsletters to some of my pen pals. In my teen years, I wrote approximately 30 or more poems that are currently packed away in a box, all but forgotten until the memory of them flooded my head this morning. Besides these obvious flairs for or interests in writing, I recall creativity in a few other areas: "playing teacher" & constructing my lessons, listening to rock music & singing along and trying to teach myself how to play a guitar and a drumset (UNsuccessful but I thought I was cool). I loved animals, too, and always had pets of all sorts (dogs, hamsters, gerbils, parakeets, guinea pigs...for some reason no cats, though!).

So, hopefully all those creative juices will do me some good in life!!

The next segment from my speech will be about...let me check...query letters.

My latest article - Captain America

2011-07-18T15:10:00.002-05:00

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

After being deemed unfit for military service during WWII, Steve Rogers (Evans) volunteers for a top secret research project that turns him into Captain America, the Sentinel of Liberty -- a superhero dedicated to defending America's ideals. His first mission: to combat the Nazi propaganda effort headed by Johann Schmidt (Weaving), also known as the Red Skull.

PG-13, 125 min - Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi – In Theaters on Friday, July 22, 2011 (USA).

TRIVIA:
>Budget: $140,000,000 (estimated).
>Despite being "The First Avenger", it is the last solo Avenger film to be released before the team-up film, The Avengers.

Read complete article HERE packed with more trivia:
http://www.examiner.com/speculative-fiction-in-st-louis/captain-america-the-first-avenger

My latest article on Harry Potter's latest movie

2011-07-15T15:36:00.000-05:00

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011):

The final film in the franchise topped all other Harry Potter movies’ midnight grosses with a huge $43.5 million in the first night of showings at 3,800 locations. It shattered the midnight box office record previously held by The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, which earned just over $30 million from midnight shows in 2010. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 1 earned $24 million in its first night last year (midnight showings).

The final chapter begins as Harry, Ron, and Hermione continue their quest of finding and destroying the Dark Lord's three remaining Horcruxes, the magical items responsible for his immortality. But as the mystical Deathly Hallows are uncovered, and Voldemort finds out about their mission, the biggest battle begins and life as they know it will never be the same again. (Written by Jordan)

FULL ARTICLE HERE:
http://www.examiner.com/speculative-fiction-in-st-louis/harry-potter-and-the-deathly-hallows-part-2-tidbits-and-trivia

Planet of the Apes; Grammar Stuff; LA Ink; Poll for Shows

2011-07-14T19:22:00.000-05:00

Tonight may involve watching Beneath the Planet of the Apes (2nd movie of series). Bought the Legacy Collection from Amazon.

Reading opinions concerning the use of "toward" or "towards". Interesting. I tend to use the "s". Some people get quite violent about which is considered correct. I've also read BOTH are fine and dandy to use.

Just read LA Ink premieres Th. July 28 on TLC. Go Kat Von D!!

I posted on Facebook using their "Questions" feature (first time I used this) a fun poll:
Which summer shows are you enjoying?
>Falling Skies?
>Teen Wolf?
>Torchwood?
>Alphas?
>True Blood?
>Outcasts?

A Place to Ask Me Questions

2011-07-12T15:58:00.000-05:00

Here's something new I'm trying out...yep-another place on the net I can be found...but where you can more easily ask me questions. I know, I know. I had recently posted about trying to back off on so many networking sites I try to maintain...eek - slap me!

It's called Formspring and this is the official website description of it:

"Formspring encourages people to find out more about each other in a simple and fun way. It starts by directly asking people original questions in anticipation of their entertaining or revealing responses. Responses can range from straightforward to surprising and can lead to understanding something more about the people you know or find interesting. Whether you are curious to know more about a college you are applying to, the movies your friend likes, or the stories of someone you respect, on Formspring, you can have fun, share insights, and relate to one another in a new way."

http://www.formspring.me/GinaMarieLong

Latest article on Insidious

2011-07-11T15:39:00.000-05:00

Insidious (2010) on DVD -

A family looks to prevent evil spirits from trapping their comatose child in a realm called The Further.

The Story (description from the Official Website):
From the creators of Saw and Paranormal Activity, Insidious is the terrifying story of a family who shortly after moving discover that dark spirits have possessed their home and that their son has inexplicably fallen into a coma. Trying to escape the haunting and save their son, they move again only to realize that it was not their house that was haunted.

To read entire article, go here:
http://www.examiner.com/speculative-fiction-in-st-louis/insidious-2010-on-dvd

My Muse and Amanda Hocking Quote

2011-07-09T15:40:00.000-05:00

My sister-in-law asked me today if my muse returned yet. It's been flitting off to points unknown...and that does not refer to the next novel in my Unknown Touch-Werewolf Series either or even the new Bigfoot Series I had started. But I like that word "muse"...and decided to post the definition so everyone can absorb the meaning.

Muse

1. Greek Mythology Any of the nine daughters of Mnemosyne and Zeus, each of whom presided over a different art or science.

2. muse

a. A guiding spirit.

b. A source of inspiration.

3. muse A poet.

On another note: I subscribe to author Amanda Hocking's blog, who I greatly admire and am intrigued by her huge success, and at the tail end of her latest post, she had this to say:

"...But now that I'm older, I realize I can be whatever writer I want to be. That's an important truth. Or at least is to me. You live your life on your terms. Don't let anybody else's definitions rule you. Define yourself." ~~ Amanda Hocking

I honestly teared up reading that. It's inspirational and powerful. Yay Amanda!

Now if my creative muse will just kick the evil distraction fairy out of my head, I'll be just fine.

My latest article on "The Ward" by John Carpenter

2011-07-08T13:51:00.000-05:00

My latest article on The Ward. Starring Amber Heard.

A thriller centered on an institutionalized young woman who becomes terrorized by a ghost.

Rated "R", 88 min - Horror | Thriller | Supernatural - Released in limited theaters on July 8, 2011 (USA). This title will be released on DVD - August 16, 2011, according to Amazon.com. There's been buzz that some people have already purchased a legit copy, which is odd if it's just hitting U.S. theaters. It appears that it premiered in Canada September 13, 2010 at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Taglines: Only Sanity Can Keep You Alive.

Read complete article:
http://www.examiner.com/speculative-fiction-in-st-louis/john-carpenter-s-the-ward

Stretched

2011-07-07T15:02:00.000-05:00

Stretched. That's how I feel lately. I can't get any writing done. Distractions, excuses. So many sites I check on every day. Researching alternate writing income possibilities, joining this and that, whew. Oh - and of course this morning I just had to clean out my recipe cabinet - organizing, tossing out some stuff. And then it was essential that I restructure my workout routines - change the time and timing, group my exercises (ripped from magazines) into a pile for pilates and a pile for weights. [sigh...]

I think I may have to prioritize and eliminate non-essential tasks and some activities that are not moving me forward in my writing career. But which ones to scratch off the list?! Obviously I keep my website, this blog, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Goodreads, okay...okay...I need to stop there. I spend an incredible amount of time writing articles on movies twice a week for my Examiner.com page...but I feel it is important to showcase article writing as another ability besides my novels that I've written. Looks good on a resume. Let's see - I also have my other blog on enterparanormal.blogspot.com - I DO get traffic everyday to it...almost hate to light a match to it. But I could. My bulletin board - which also gets hits everyday - but NO ONE ever posts anything besides myself - could be deleted. After all, everything I put here goes there. Rarely does anyone speak of MySpace anymore. Facebook is the hotspot. Still - very hard to delete the account...suppose I could let it "sit" & just check it once a month...

I'm hoping by typing this out (concerning my disappearing time to write dilemma), it will force me to take action. I know everyone has the same 24 hours in day, 7 days a week. But I feel like a time warp fairy shows up daily and zaps me away for about 5 hours. Then, suddenly, I'll look at the clock and wonder - OMG - where did the day go?!?!

My latest article on Beastly

2011-07-05T12:04:00.000-05:00

My latest article on Beastly (2011) Profile:

A modern-day take on the "Beauty and the Beast" tale where a New York teen is transformed into a hideous monster in order to find true love.

PG-13, 86 min - Drama | Fantasy | Romance - Now out on DVD - Release Date: June 28, 2011

Read full article:
http://www.examiner.com/speculative-fiction-in-st-louis/beastly-2011-profile

My latest article on Transformers: Dark of the Moon

2011-07-01T13:29:00.002-05:00

Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011) Info & Trivia

The Autobots learn of a Cybertronian spacecraft hidden on the Moon, and race against the Decepticons to reach it and to learn its secrets.

PG-13, 157 min - Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi - In theaters: June 29, 2011 (USA)

TRIVIA:
>Transformers movies are based on the toy series that gained popularity in the 1980s.
>Transformers are (fictional) sentient alien robots coming from the planet Cybertron. They are divided into two factions: the heroic Autobots, led by Optimus Prime, and the evil Decepticons, almost always led by Megatron.

Read full article here:
http://www.examiner.com/speculative-fiction-in-st-louis/transformers-dark-of-the-moon-2011-info-trivia

My latest article on Season of the Witch

2011-06-27T14:38:00.002-05:00

My latest article on Season of the Witch (2011-DVD) Comments:

Synopsis: 14th-century knights transport a suspected witch to a monastery, where monks will decide if her powers could be the source of the Black Plague.
Read full article here, complete with my comments AS I watch the movie:
http://www.examiner.com/speculative-fiction-in-st-louis/season-of-the-witch-2011-dvd-comments

True Blood tonight

2011-06-26T15:19:00.000-05:00

I posted this on my Paranormal Entertainment blog and decided I wanted it on my author blog, too:

I am in True Blood bliss! Just finished watching the dvd collection for Season 3 last night. Awesome! And of course numerous questions!! Tonight, Season 4 starts and I actually HAVE HBO now!! I called Dish Network this morning and received a "special" from them. So, I don't have to wait till next YEAR when the dvd's come out before I can finally watch Season 4! What a treat - to have literally wrapped up the finale last night and then to start with the premiere tonight - everything is completely fresh in my brain!

Some questions/comments I have: if Sookie's blood is half human and half fae (fairy) wouldn't that mean her brother, Jason, is also part fairy?! And what about Jason's comments in the hospital a few episodes back about Sookie NOT being born in a hospital & that he remembers her being born...I thought he was YOUNGER than her. Maybe I'm wrong on that. Even if he is older, he would NOT remember her birth! And that one fairy telling Sookie something about her parents and their death...something about Sookie shouldn't fear the water...that's not what "took" her parents!!?? Which side of the family had fairy in it -- was it her Gram's side (the one that died)?

Can't believe Tara cut her hair off at the end of the season...but understand the point of her needing to "change" her life. Watching her drive off into the night alone...I wondered what would be in store for her in the next season - and if she would return or if that was her exit from the show! She had a devastating chain of events (again) that she lived through...I actually thought it was worse than what Sookie dealt with in some ways!

And to find out Bill had set Sookie up to get beaten in the first season, first episode so he could rush in and "save" her...all to manipulate her...I about fell off my couch! Sure, he seems to have truly fallen in love with her and wants to protect her...but wow - the look on her face of betrayal when Eric (covered in cement) arrived at her doorstep to spill the beans of Bill's initial intentions when those two met...working undercover for the Queen Sophie (that's her name, right?) to find out exactly what Sookie was/is.

I kept expecting Alcide to show up on Sookie's doorstep at the end...instead she steps into the fairy realm and who knows what happened then?

Many, many more thoughts...not enough time to type them now...My heart is pounding with excitement to watch True Blood tonight!

My latest article on The Adjustment Bureau - Trivia

2011-06-24T14:13:00.000-05:00

My latest article is on The Adjustment Bureau Trivia.
Example: Damon wears a baseball cap with the letter "F," standing for Fordham University where some of the movie was filmed.

Stars: Matt Damon, Emily Blunt and Florence Kastriner.

Read full article:
http://www.examiner.com/speculative-fiction-in-st-louis/the-adjustment-bureau-trivia

Speech, True Blood, Time

2011-06-22T15:25:00.000-05:00

My speech on Monday night went well--satisfying to talk about writing business stuff to other writers!

Halfway through Season 3 of True Blood dvds and loving it! I think this season is better than Season 2.

I really need to re-focus and re-organize my brain. I've spent too much time on networking, promo, research, joining writing groups, etc. (all important!) but need to get back to WRITING! This internet is my friend and my enemy - I am majorly distracted by it (time suck)...but am addicted to it, too!

Such is my life...

My latest article on Red Riding Hood

2011-06-20T14:45:00.000-05:00

My latest article: Red Riding Hood (2011) Trivia

TRIVIA:
>At the very beginning during the flyover of the village, not one tree is rustling yet there is enough wind to turn the windmill.
>Taylor Lautner was considered for the role of Peter.

FULL ARTICLE HERE:
http://www.examiner.com/speculative-fiction-in-st-louis/red-riding-hood-2011-trivia

New article on Green Lantern

2011-06-17T16:55:00.002-05:00

My latest article...
Green Lantern (2011) Info, Trivia - A test pilot is granted a mystical green ring that bestows him with otherworldly powers, as well as membership into an intergalactic squadron tasked with keeping peace within the universe.
Read full article here:

http://www.examiner.com/speculative-fiction-in-st-louis/green-lantern-2011-info-trivia

Speech - Speech!

2011-06-16T11:19:00.000-05:00

I'm a guest speaker for The Highland League of Writers Group in Highland, Illinois on Monday, June 20, 2011 at 6:30 P.M. Location: Korte Recreation Center in Highland, 2nd floor in Room 1. It's free! My speech will last 1 hour and afterwards I'll sign/sell my books to interested people. The writing group is always looking for new members and it's free to join. I'll be speaking about writing topics such as: query letters, the publishing choices, self-publishing, cover art, social networking and more.

Super Summer Sci-Fi & Supernatural Movies - my latest article

2011-06-13T15:57:00.000-05:00

Super Summer Sci-Fi & Supernatural Movies --

Here's the lowdown on the showdown of the June - August Sci-Fi and Supernatural Movie Releases...
My latest article can be read here:
http://www.examiner.com/speculative-fiction-in-st-louis/super-summer-sci-fi-and-supernatural-movies

5 Star Reviews for Unknown Scent!

2011-06-10T17:29:00.000-05:00

Several 5 star reviews are posted at Amazon for my book Unknown Scent-Werewolf Series-Book 2.
Can be read here or below:

Here's the latest:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Review by Patricia Foltz of Way2Kool Reviews

Unknown Scent is about a werewolf Daniel, a vampire Josiah, a psychic Kara, who has the ability to manipulate someone’s mind, and her best friend Dominic who also is a psychic along with telekinetic powers. They all have the power to talk to each other through telepathy. Daniel is Kara’s boyfriend and Dom is also in love with Kara. Kara is considering the idea of becoming a werewolf. Dominic is totally against it.

Together they are part of the Liaison team, a group of beings and human people who take care of the evil in the world, funded by a scientist name Eli. In this series they are after black magic witches who are trying to raise a demon. Daniel and his pack were cursed back in 1693 by black magic witches and have sworn revenge.

This book was such an exciting read. I wish I had read the first book and can’t wait to read the next one. We all think of werewolves and vampires as being evil murderers, but not so in this story. The author Gina Marie Long has made them into the good guys who hurt, love and care just like the rest of us humans.

If you like the author Laurell Hamilton and the Anita Blake series then you will love Gina Marie Long and the Werewolf Series. I could see this as a television series, where the Liaison team go out each week and fight evil. I think it would be original and an exciting show to watch. And original is something we need on television.

If I could I would give 6 stars. Best read of the year so far, and I have read a lot of good books this year.

Additional comments from Cindy Evans:
I really like this story. Even if you didn’t read the first book in the series you were able to understand what is going on. The writer really pulls you into the story and makes you feel for the characters. I can’t wait for the next book to come out in the series.
~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now isn't that so cool?!?! I LOVE these reviews! Tears in my eyes again!!

Super 8 - summer blockbuster I would bet!

2011-06-10T14:45:00.002-05:00

Super 8 (2011) - My latest speculative fiction article...

After witnessing a mysterious train crash, a group of friends in the summer of 1979 begin noticing strange happenings going around in their small town, and begin to investigate into the creepy phenomenon.

Read full article here:

http://www.examiner.com/speculative-fiction-in-st-louis/super-8-2011

Criticism, Quake, Temps, Lost

2011-06-07T21:24:00.000-05:00

How's that for the subject title line? Concerning criticism - I noticed I don't give bad reviews very often. That covers movies, TV shows and books. I think for the most part, I'm able to see the entertainment in whatever I'm trying to be entertained by! Of course I don't believe everything I watch or read to be a 5 star review...but even what I consider 3 and 4 star material I'm able to enjoy it without tearing it apart. What made me think of this criticism topic? Well - I subscribe to (but probably not for much longer) and receive emails from a person who covers/reviews/discusses movies. I rarely read the full articles, just skim over the opening sentences. I swear this person criticizes almost all the movies chosen for their articles! Anyway...

Near Sullivan, MO around 3 A.M.-ish this morning, an earthquake rattled people with a magnitude of 4.2. I live near St. Louis, MO but slept right through it! My husband "thinks" he felt a sensation that mildly woke him around that time.

It's HOT! Like 95 - 98 degrees hot!!!

I am once again going to research the true meaning behind the "Lost" series finale. We were so disappointed and confused by the ending as we watched it on TV and are currently watching the DVD set we bought of the last season. We're REALLY picking up clues - mostly verbal stuff - that I'm sure we didn't catch the first time around...about death, dying, things aren't what they seem, etc. But even so, I'm still sitting on the couch scratching my head. It's pretty bad, too, when I wake up the next morning and as I'm taking a shower I start re-hashing and trying to put together the pieces of Lost! Then my husband wakes up, waddles to the kitchen and announces he had a dream with Claire in it! Hmm...Well, anyway, those bonus features included with the set better do some major explaining!!

Psyched about Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)-coming in August

2011-06-06T15:32:00.000-05:00

I am beyond excited about this new movie coming in August. I was having a difficult time choosing what to write about for my speculative fiction - movies - article (for my Examiner page) today. Then I stumbled upon the info for this movie and almost jumped out of my seat!

Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011): An origin story set in present day San Francisco, where man's own experiments with genetic engineering lead to the development of intelligence in apes and the onset of a war for supremacy.
>Rise of the Planet of the Apes is a reboot to the original Planet of the Apes film series. The continuity will be a new start.

Read full article here: http://www.examiner.com/speculative-fiction-in-st-louis/rise-of-the-planet-of-the-apes-2011

I'm feeling the urge to buy all the original movies after writing this article!

Summer TV Shows I'm Going to Watch

2011-06-05T14:22:00.000-05:00

Several exciting TV shows falling into the genres of sci-fi, fantasy and paranormal are about to hit the screen for summertime entertainment. Perhaps the withdrawal I experience from the hiatus of my winter season shows will disappear as I'll be tuning in to the following: Falling Skies, Teen Wolf, Outcasts (a little iffy), Alphas, and Torchwood: Miracle Day.

And I'll be able to watch Torchwood only because Dish Network handed out 1 free year of Starz (probably due to the ordeal from last fall with NO FX [& a few other channels] for about a month & this was their way of saying they're sorry). Outcasts is iffy because I read it was canceled after only one 8-episode season in Britain. Seems like that happens A LOT with BBC shows, especially ones I start to watch on Saturday nights & enjoy. When the next season is due to start - they're gone, off the radar, dead, canceled!

New article I've written on Awesome Vampire Movies of All Time!

2011-06-02T16:38:00.002-05:00

Popular Vampire Movies - Also referred to as: best, favorite, well-known, top-grossing vampire movies of all time. Although some fans prefer to sink their fangs into vampire movies made in the last 30 - 40 years (or much less) and to steer clear of the old black and whites. And rules on what counts as a vampire flick are part of the equation…you'd think that should be easy to figure out!
Read full article here:
http://www.examiner.com/speculative-fiction-in-st-louis/best-vampire-movies

5 Star Reviews; Grandpa's Comment

2011-06-01T11:32:00.000-05:00

Woohoo! Unknown Scent-Werewolf Series-Book 2 has several 5 star reviews on both Amazon and B&N! Love it! If you're reading this and still haven't gotten the book, I am going to beat you with a wet noodle!

On a less visual thought, my 83 year old Grandpa has read both books in my Werewolf Series. How strange! He commented yesterday that he had to stop reading Book 2 for a few weeks because he couldn't handle his granddaughter having to go through all that stuff...I paused & thought about what the heck he was talking about and then replied, "The girl in the books is NOT ME!! The character may have some of my quirks but also some of my husband's personality plus other traits I picked up from who knows where!" He said he knew that...but it still "sounded" like me "talking" in the story. Isn't that wild?!

New Article on X-Men First Class

2011-05-31T11:55:00.000-05:00

New article I've compiled on the movie X-Men: First Class (2011)...

In 1963, Charles Xavier starts up a school and later a team, for humans with superhuman abilities. Among them is Erik Lensherr, his best friend...and future archenemy.

FAQ:
>Q: Does this movie pick up from the point X-Men Origins: Wolverine left off?

Read full article here:
http://www.examiner.com/speculative-fiction-in-st-louis/x-men-first-class-2011

Salivating for True Blood

2011-05-30T16:23:00.000-05:00

I'm clawing the walls in anticipation for the DVD set for True Blood - The Complete Third Season. I do not have HBO (shame on me!) so have not watched last season's episodes. I pre-ordered the DVD set through Amazon three months ago. According to Amazon, it will be released tomorrow - Tues., May 31, 2011 for $29.99. Hopefully it will arrive within the week. With all my fall/winter shows having wrapped up for the season, I'm going into withdrawal...feeling all empty inside & lost without my normal dose of supernatural, fantasy or sci-fi entertainment. So here's a big Yahoo!!!! for the day I yank the package out of the mailbox & start drooling!!

Reading, Racing, Writing

2011-05-29T14:26:00.000-05:00

Lounged in the glorious sun that finally emerged from the clouds and read on my Nook - L.J. McDonald's "The Shattered Sylph". Eyeballs dried out from wind, got massive tan lines & fascinated with neighbor's huge, red, fake parrot stuck in ground! Came inside, witnessed the wild ending of the Indy 500 (think Danika made #8) and already looking forward to burritos from Taco Bell tonight. Functioning on 4 1/2 hrs. of sleep after finishing a thorough outline last night for my next book (Bigfoot Series). It's so descriptive, I will literally copy/paste portions into the new manuscript, making the writing easier. Yay!

New article on Drive Angry w/Nic Cage

2011-05-26T12:28:00.000-05:00

New article I've written on the movie Drive Angry with Nicolas Cage, due out on DVD May 31, 2011.

Read full article here:
http://www.examiner.com/speculative-fiction-in-st-louis/drive-angry-2011

Weather Blues

2011-05-25T20:12:00.000-05:00

I have weather fatigue. I heard the meteorologist use that term today. And I am convinced I'm suffering from it. I am sick and tired of all this bad weather, as I'm positive MANY people will agree with me. Tornados, gale force &/or straight-line winds, damaging hail, flash floods, lightning strikes. Enough already! I can't keep focused on anything when I'm freaking out about my house blowing away! I think of all the horrible, heart-breaking destruction the recent tornados have caused in cities across the U.S. & realize that could easily have been us! Uber distracting!!

Researching shape shifting

2011-05-24T13:59:00.000-05:00

I have seen this term typed 3 ways: shape shift, shapeshift and shape-shift, whether it's as you see it here or with or without "er" or "ing" on the ending. I had even typed it in two ways while writing my last book, not realizing I wasn't consistent until after the book was written. Eeek! Then I had to "find" the variation I did NOT want and correct it to be the same throughout the story. Thank goodness for the "Find" option in Word, saving me a chunk of time! And I decided to keep a space in the term/word: shape shifting. Anyway...I finished researching themes in shape shifting for my next novel. Not that I haven't already immersed my readers with transformations of werewolves and vampires, because I definitely HAVE, but I was checking out some new angles for my work-in-progress: The Bigfoot Series! I keep deleting sentences as I type this - I start to say too much about what I'm writing...and I don't want to ruin the story by flapping my mouth!

Article on thriller movie Seconds Apart

2011-05-23T15:58:00.002-05:00

Seconds Apart (2011)

Seth and Jonah are twins with a dangerous ability. Telekinesis. Things start to spiral out of their control as their classmates end up dying in twisted and bizarre ways. The police suspect them. But, jealousy begins to divide them and soon they can no longer trust each other. Leading up to a horrific battle against themselves.

On DVD, digital download and On Demand with a release date of May 24th, 2011.

Rated R - 89 min - Horror | Thriller.

Internet Movie Database (www.imdb.com) Voters gave Seconds Apart a score of 6.7 out of a 10 (48 votes).

Stars: Orlando Jones, Edmund Entin and Gary Entin.

Read full article here:
http://www.examiner.com/speculative-fiction-in-st-louis/seconds-apart-2011

Zinc Overload

2011-05-19T11:53:00.000-05:00

I have self-diagnosed that I've been taking "toxic" levels of zinc. Not by a lot, but enough that I believe some problems I've been having are directly related to a zinc overdose. I take nutritional supplements & zinc is one I've been swallowing for years to promote healthier skin, hair & a beefed-up immune system. Well...I used to break a pill in half for every day consumption. For whatever reason, I really can't remember, I quit breaking that pill in half and started taking the whole thing which is 50 mg. AND my daily Centrum already has 11 mg of zinc in it which now equals 61 mg a day. Too much for the average person. Approximately 15 mg a day is fine, up to maybe 40 mg a day. At the 40 mg point and above a person is starting to get zinc toxicity. Now, I'm sure there are people standing by to argue all of this with me. I'm not a doctor, so I'm just going by about 6 different places I researched on the net, basically saying the same thing. You ask - what symptoms was I having? Well, the excess zinc in my body can create an iron deficiency...which then I believe probably caused the funky ridges on my nails, made me shed hair like a cat and gave me belly problems. Today is Day One with taking a WAY reduced amount of zinc. How's that for a little health talk?!

Article I've written on Johnny Depp

2011-05-19T11:35:00.002-05:00

Admiring Johnny Depp:

High praise goes out to Johhny Depp and his brilliant acting and entertainment career! This man "becomes" the characters he portrays. It's as if the roles he chooses have been specifically created just for him. And in some cases, they probablywere written with Depp in mind to play a certain character. He is truly different, mysterious, odd and lovable and fans DO love him!

Full article here:
http://www.examiner.com/speculative-fiction-in-st-louis/admiring-johnny-depp

Last Scheduled Book Signing

2011-05-18T18:49:00.000-05:00

My last scheduled book signing (at least at this point in time) is this Sat., May 21 from 10 till noon at Walgreens in Highland, IL. I will have both books available for sale at my little table as I meet people: Unknown Touch-Werewolf Series-Book 1 and Unknown Scent-Werewolf Series-Book 2. Bookmarks included. Walgreens in Highland is currently stocking the books for sale at any time, too. And Box TV in Highland also stocks the books.

Author Interview and Giveaway

2011-05-17T13:59:00.001-05:00

Here is the Once Upon A Twilight Book Blog Interview with me answering 10 questions.
To see it at their site go here:
http://www.onceuponatwilight.com/2011/05/author-interview-and-giveaway-gina.html

Monday, May 16, 2011

Author Interview and Giveaway: Gina Marie Long author of Werewolf Series

Help us welcome today to the blog, author Gina Marie Long, she is the author of the Werewolf Series. Unknown Touch - Werewolf Series - Book One and Unknown Scent - Werewolf Series - Book Two are the two out now available. You can click HERE to read Jenny's review for Unknown Scent and read below for a chance to win a signed paperback copy. Now we hope you enjoy reading the Q&A that Jenny asked.

Gina Marie Long's Links:

Welcome Gina!

OUaT: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I’m an only child. I grew up in a rural town with a population of about 800 from the time I was a baby until I was 18. Then I moved out from my parent’s house and fled to the big city...6 miles away with a population of 7,000 - Oh boy. I’m married with no kids. I have ADHD and OCD, which messes with my ability to focus. And I talk a lot and can make friends with a rock.

OUaT: I read that you owned/operated a Beauty Salon for 16 years? What influenced you to change careers after so many years? and When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

Yes, I was a single owner and sole operator of a beauty salon for 16 years – in that location. But in the big picture, I had been “doing hair” for 25 years. Gulp. I’m giving my age away! And actually, going back further, I attempted my first haircut on my best friend when I was a mere 14 years old! I must’ve done a decent job because she continued to let me cut it (and eventually perm and highlight it)! During the last several years with my beauty salon, I had hit the burn-out phase working on hair, though. I loved my customers but no longer liked the business end of it and everything I, alone, had to take care of. I realized I had an interest in writing 20 years ago and toyed with writing a book at that time. Nothing at all came of it. I recalled in high school getting A’s on essays with positive notes scribbled in the margins from the teachers, so I felt I had some potential but didn’t fully submerse and commit myself to a full-fledged novel until 2009. I was frustrated with life and wanted to sell my shop but needed a job or another career. I thought, what the heck? Write “the” book now! If anything, it’s something to concentrate on and alleviate my aggravation with my current situation. In my spare time, I pumped out the first book in my Werewolf Series. Unknown Touch was finished in 2 1/2 months and published in October 2009. I finally sold my beauty salon in June of 2010 and devoted myself to writing full time as a career in some form or fashion. In March of this year, Unknown Scent was published. There is a catch to all of this: I’ve given myself two years (financially can’t go longer than that) to attain a legitimate, modest, income-producing career in writing. I have one year left. Tick, tick...

OUaT: Is there any particular author or book that influenced you in any way either growing up or as an adult?

As a child/young teen, the books or authors that stand out in my memory are Watership Down by Richard Adams and several Judy Blume books. Then as a teenager I read J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Wow. Very involved and deep. A complete WORLD this genius had created! Moving on...as a young adult/adult, Anne Rice was superb! Eventually, the one author who ultimately sparked my desire to get serious and write a book was Stephenie Meyer. Beyond her, several authors I admire and bow down to are Christine Feehan, Jacquelyn Frank, Karen Marie Moning and Amanda Hocking. Sorry, I couldn’t pick just one book or one author!

OUaT: Did you design the cover?

The cover is actually a photo I chose and purchased from an online image site! My publisher cropped it and added the printed words. One interesting note: the title is actually a Werewolf Font, according to what my publisher told me. The type is made to resemble animal hair!!

OUaT: Will you have a new book coming out soon? PLEASE PLEASE BOOK 3!

Hopefully, I will have a new book out in a few months that I will self-publish. Yep, I’m gonna jump on the bandwagon and try my hand at it like many famous authors have done. It will be a Bigfoot Series! I will heavily promote it as an eBook on all the major sites that sell eBooks and will still offer it in paperback, too, through Amazon. I’m only taking a pause on my Werewolf Series but plan on writing Book 3 of it after the first Bigfoot book is done. As long as my publisher wants me, I will stick with them for the Werewolf Series, but self-publish the Bigfoot Series, just to be clear on that.

OUaT: How did you develop the plot for “Unknown Scent”?

I sat down with a notebook and brainstormed on and off for days. I jotted down what “makes” a good story – what are the important elements to include in it (example: good vs. evil, some form of romance, supernatural goodies, etc.). I asked myself what I was interested in: specific types of story lines, TV shows, movies, other books. I tossed around about three different ideas and settled on one to write. I created an outline of the story from start to finish. I basically know how it’s going to end before I start writing. Plus I research on the Internet anything I need to know for the book. I come up with names, locations, book title, chapter titles, background stuff on the characters, the timeline of events/scenes in the book, etc. I have most of this all figured out before I start typing Chapter One.

OUaT: What is the craziest thing you've learned while writing?

That question could be taken several ways...Here’s a few different answers: While I actually write, I’ve learned that I just cannot let it flow and type endlessly. I have to type a little and edit a little and I just assumed I’d be able to zip off page after page and come back later to proofread and edit it. No can do. On a positive note to that, I don’t have to edit as much after the book is finished. Another way to answer your question: Some crazy things I’ve learned while writing have to do with all the cool myths and mythology I draw from/use for certain character’s background. The research is fun, mind-blowing and stirs my creative juices into weaving the old legends into my own story. Of course, I can’t give you an actual example, because I don’t want to spoil HOW my werewolves and vampires become or are who they are...mwahahaha...(oh that was lame).

OUaT: It’s almost summertime, YAY! What’s your favorite thing to do outside?

Sitting in the sun or shade, reading a book (usually on my Nook) and sipping coffee with approximately ten mini-marshmallows that’s spiked with two sugar-free sweeteners. Yep. That’s the truth.

OUaT: What questions are you never asked in interviews but wish you were?

Hmm...How about: What surprises have you learned as a published writer? My answer: I’m shocked at the number of writers (published or not) or wanna-be writers out there in the world. Until I really dove into the whole writing business, I had no idea that so many people were out there doing or trying to do the same thing as me! The competition is tremendous. Also, the amount of time I spend on promoting my books is unreal. I have a small publishing house and I understand they don’t have the time or money to devote much to marketing each individual author and almost all of it falls on us – the writers. That means a good portion of time that I should be writing, I’m working on ways to get my books “out there”. Sad, but true. Luckily, and perhaps oddly, I love marketing! But am still shocked when I look at the clock and realize the day is over and I never typed a single word in my next novel.

OUaT: Is there anything additional you would like to share with your readers?

Oh now that’s a loaded question. We could be here for hours with my answers...OK...I’ll attempt to summarize. I love to use ellipses (plural)...and I know I overuse them...so you’ll have to deal with it...okay?! [chuckling] Next...I try to keep my writing PG-13 for two reasons: 1) I want to have a broad age-range for readers of my books and we know tweens and teens are eating up the genre I write in; 2) My parents and sister-in-law read my books and I just can’t handle writing sex scenes knowing they’ll read it. Awkward! It’s just the way I am! Next...Advice about writing: Try to follow in the footsteps of those who have succeeded. Dissect what they’ve done right (and wrong). Don’t reinvent the wheel when others have already created the blueprint for you. The meaning of success is different for each person. Most success requires luck, timing, time itself, reaching out, persistence, investment (some money), who you know, a well-written entertaining story and NOT giving up.

Follow me at: www.facebook.com/ginamarielong or www.twitter.com/ginamarielong orwww.myspace.com/ginamarielong or www.goodreads.com/ginamarielong . Visit my website:www.ginamarielong.com

Thank you to Gina for taking time out and answering our interview questions. So here comes the extra fun part of course. We are offering a signed paperback copy of Unknown Scent - Werewolf Series - Book Two. to a lucky reader.

To Enter:

Fill out this FORM
Open to US and CA
Giveaway ends May 31st at midnight
Leave a comment below
You don't have to follow to enter, but we love if you do of course.

~~~~

You may need to go directly to their site to fill out the FORM...

http://www.onceuponatwilight.com/2011/05/author-interview-and-giveaway-gina.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides Article/Info

2011-05-16T14:40:00.002-05:00

New article I've compiled on Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. Johnny Depp is totally amazing for the role of Captain Jack Sparrow...perfect personality that fits the part!
Full article with trivia here:
http://www.examiner.com/speculative-fiction-in-st-louis/pirates-of-the-caribbean-on-stranger-tides-2011

New Book I'm Outlining!

2011-05-15T12:51:00.002-05:00

I've been working on the outline to a new book in a trilogy that will be my Bigfoot Series. I started writing Chapter 1 about 2 months ago, but got sidetracked promoting the new Unknown Scent-Werewolf Series-Book Two that released March 31. During that time, I jotted down notes to make changes to my original handwritten outline. Over the last few days, I've been typing up the new outline, making the changes as needed, as I could no longer make sense (or read) all the scribbled notes! I will hold true to my style/genre of writing: paranormal thriller, urban fantasy, young-adult, written in first person. This new series will have a tiny tie-in to my Werewolf Series, but is not a spin-off - which would be taking a character from the Werewolf Series and making a story about or for him/her. I will keep the Werewolf Series with my publisher (as long as they'll have me) BUT will strike out on my own and self-publish the Bigfoot Series! I am only hitting the pause button on the Werewolf Series to write this new Bigfoot book. I plan on writing 3 more books in the Werewolf Series yet!! I'd like to switch off writing between the two series (Bigfoot, then Werewolf, then Bigfoot, etc.) Stay tuned!

Survivor Finale

2011-05-15T12:38:00.000-05:00

Can't believe tonight is the Survivor finale with so many contestants left to be voted off! Long night - 3 hours - of TV watching. We have NEVER missed an episode of any of the seasons of Survivor! My vote goes to Boston Rob - hoping he makes it to the final 2 (or sometimes they've done 3). He deserves to win! Love him!!

Unknown Scent - Excellent Book Review

2011-05-14T17:07:00.000-05:00

The first official book review is in from my mailings sent out to reviewers! Yay! Scroll down to the actual review:

Friday, May 13, 2011

Book Review: Unknown Scent - Werewolf Series, Book Two

Unknown Scent
Werewolf Series, Book Two
Author: Gina Marie Long
Pages: 256 pgs
Reading Level: YA
Published: March 31st 2011
Publisher: Black Rose Writing
Available: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Books A Million

Summary: (from goodreads) Danger awaits Kara and her friends on unfamiliar territory when their covert operation goes bad. Werewolves, a vampire, psychics and black magic witches face-off in several fast-paced battles of good vs. evil. Time is running out for The Liaison team. They must locate the witches' hideout and prevent a sacrificial ritual before it's too late and all beings suffer the consequences. But major shocks and turmoil cause self-control and aggression issues within Kara's circle of friends. A gift Kara receives proves priceless in a life or death situation. Her psychic powers of mental manipulation and mind-reading are instrumental to the survival of others and herself. New allies are formed; not all are human. Throughout the mayhem, Kara's internal battle remains in limbo over who she truly loves the most: her best friend who is a psychic human or her boyfriend who is a werewolf. A choice needs to be made that could be life-altering. Especially as she continues to delve into the unknown.

The first words that came to mind when I began writing this review was WOW. This story was truly amazing and touched me deeply. I enjoyed reading every page and could not stop until the very end and even then I did not want to stop. I fell in love with all the characters in this book immediately. I laughed often, cried even but was overall intrigued that all the characters seemed to get along. Although, there was some tension at times and a mini love triangle, I felt the bond. Imagine a team of supernatural beings that consists of Vampires, Werewolves, Psychics and Witches that come together for one sole purpose and that is to protect the greater good from all evil. I felt as if I was apart of this bond by the amazing way that this author brings you to the story. I especially loved the part that although all these supernatural beings are completely different they are able to connect telepathically through various distances and read each other’s minds. At times one of the character’s would snoop in or over hear what the other was thinking and boy was that funny. The best part of the mind reading and telepathy was that I was in on all the secrets between all the characters. This book is a story about a team of supernatural beings that with each of their special skills, love, compassion and understanding form a team called “The Liaison”. The Liaison basically receives information or hears of rumors regarding “Evil” doing and they are sent to verify the evil and convert them (if they are not too evil of course) or eliminate them if they are. Unknown Scent is the second installment of the series but can be read as a stand alone. I, for instance did not read book one and I did not need to read it to continue with this book. Although, I would love to read the first book so that I know how and where everyone met and how they became what they are in book two. But that’s just me because I’m nosy. This is the second story I read that unites all different species and creates a story where they can all be friends, co-exist and fight crime together. This book is for everyone, if your like me and like the supernatural without all the horror this book is perfect and I highly recommend it.

Once Upon a Twilight Book Reviewer
Once Upon a Twilight Blog Link http://www.onceuponatwilight.com/

New article on horror movie The Violent Kind

2011-05-12T11:49:00.000-05:00

New article I've compiled on the slasher/horror/supernatural flick The Violent Kind (2010) on DVD...

Brace yourself for an unrelenting new horror classic that’s scary, rough, and willing to break all the rules! Your life will never be the same when you meet The Violent Kind, a ruthless pack of unstoppable psychopaths terrorizing the wilds of Northern California. Now they have their eyes on young Cody, the member of a notorious biker gang whose ex-girlfriend, Michelle (scream queen, Tiffany Shepis), turns up hysterical, drenched in blood… and carrying a dark, terrifying secret. Unrelenting and wildly unpredictable, this acclaimed shocker from the Butcher Brothers, directors of the horror hit,The Hamiltons, shocked audiences at Sundance and takes you on a wild ride you’ll never forget! (Editorial Review from Amazon.com)

Full article here:
http://www.examiner.com/speculative-fiction-in-st-louis/the-violent-kind-2010

One remaining Book Signing

2011-05-11T14:37:00.000-05:00

One last book signing is arranged for Sat., May 21 from 10 till noon at WALGREENS in Highland. Both books will be available (w/free coordinating bookmarks). Keep in mind that Walgreens stocks signed copies (w/bookmarks) of the books so you're able to pop in there anytime and buy them! Box TV & Video in Highland also has the same situation with stocking my books!

Misc. Stuff

2011-05-10T14:28:00.000-05:00

Listening to Hootie & the Blowfish - Let Her Cry, waiting on several book reviews of Unknown Scent sometime over the next month or so, contemplating speaking engagements, organized notes on next book, sick of rain because our yard is a jungle now, toying with trip to Montana (not too promising) sometime over the next 6 months, preparing for withdrawal symptoms after my TV shows all finish their finales for the season.

New article on "Black Death" - DVD

2011-05-09T14:07:00.000-05:00

New article I've written on Black Death (2010):

Sean Bean - perfectly picked for the part of a warrior knight!!!

Synopsis: Set during the time of the first outbreak of bubonic plague in England, a young monk (that is NOT Sean Bean!) is tasked with learning the truth about reports of people being brought back to life in a small village.

R rating - 97 min - Adventure | Drama | Mystery - DVD Released on May 10, 2011 (USA)

Internet Movie Database (www.imdb.com) voters gave Black Death a rating of 6.5 out of a 10. Although that rating seems deceiving as the majority of the reviews I've read seem to be giving this movie a higher rating than 6.5. Who knows!?

Full article:
http://www.examiner.com/speculative-fiction-in-st-louis/black-death-2010

Amazon or B&N reviews

2011-05-07T22:07:00.000-05:00

I sincerely appreciate those readers who go to Amazon or B&N and post their reviews! These are important for capturing the attention of bookstores, libraries, future readers, etc. Thanks!

Unknown Scent available for Kindle

2011-05-06T15:34:00.000-05:00

Unknown Scent-Werewolf Series-Book 2 is NOW available in eBook format for the Amazon Kindle. After about one month of the paperback being released, for those interested in the eBook, go to Amazon & search for me, the book, or CLICK HERE:

Reminder-Book Signing on Saturday

2011-05-05T14:15:00.000-05:00

Don't forget - I have a book selling and signing at:

Pizza Man, 611 Edw. Rd., Troy – Sat., May 7, 11 – 1.

Both of my books will be available for sale. Includes free coordinating bookmarks. Buy both books (Unknown Touch and Unknown Scent) for a special $3.50 OFF the two!

New article I've compiled on "Priest"

2011-05-05T14:10:00.000-05:00

Priest (2011) - Storyline: a post-apocalyptic sci-fi thriller, is set in an alternate world -- one ravaged by centuries of war between man and vampires. The story revolves around a legendary Warrior Priest from the last Vampire War who now lives in obscurity among the other downtrodden human inhabitants in walled-in dystopian cities ruled by the Church. When his niece is abducted by a murderous pack of vampires, Priest breaks his sacred vows to venture out on a quest to find her before they turn her into one of them. He is joined on his crusade by his niece's boyfriend, a trigger-fingered young wasteland sheriff, and a former Warrior Priestess who possesses otherworldly fighting skills. (Written by Screen Gems)

To read full article, go here:
http://www.examiner.com/speculative-fiction-in-st-louis/priest-2011

FAQ Unknown Scent-Werewolf Series-Book 2

2011-05-03T14:26:00.000-05:00

Now that Unknown Scent-Werewolf Series-Book Two has been released into the world over a month ago and more people have had a chance to read it, I just want to remind those looking for more "answers" to go to my FAQ Page at my website. It has spoilers so if you haven't read the books - don't read the FAQ!
http://ginamarielong.com/FAQUnknownScent.aspx

New Article on "The Green Hornet" on DVD

2011-05-02T21:33:00.000-05:00

New article I've written on The Green Hornet (2011) on DVD:

Following the death of his father, Britt Reid, heir to his father's large company, teams up with his late dad's assistant Kato to become a masked crime fighting team. (Brief synopsis)

PG-13, 119 min - Action | Comedy | Crime - January 14, 2011 (USA) released in theaters. Available on DVD and Blu-ray on May 3, 2011.

Special DVD Features: Filmmakers' Commentary, "Awesoom"-Gag Reel, Writing The Green Hornet, The Black Beauty: Rebirth of Cool.

Internet Movie Database (www.imdb.com) Voters gave The Green Hornet a score of 6.2 out of a 10 with 28,764 votes.

Read article here:
http://www.examiner.com/speculative-fiction-in-st-louis/the-green-hornet-2011-on-dvd

Books can be bought at local stores...

2011-04-30T20:57:00.000-05:00

And don't forget that if you miss my book signings, you can still pop in at Box TV & Video OR Walgreens in Highland where my books are available to purchase!

Two Down, Three To Go

2011-04-30T20:55:00.000-05:00

I survived two book signings today! The time goes by so fast when I get to talk to people about my books & I really DO have fun! I have 3 more to go...
Tues., May 3 from 6 - 8 at DiMaggio's in Highland,
Sat., May 7 from 11 - 1 at Pizza Man in Troy,
Sat., May 21 from 10 - 12 at Walgreens in Highland.
Both books are for sale at the signings & include matching bookmarks!
In about a week, I'll post photos from each signing on my website.

World News

2011-04-29T16:05:00.000-05:00

I missed the live showing of "the wedding" this morning...but saw the TWO kisses on the balcony. I think we all know whose wedding I'm referring to!

Can you believe all the tech and internet problems this week? Scary. Several affected my status, especially Verizon Wireless being DOWN for about 22 hours!!! That's how I get on the internet! And Yahoo Mail was down...I have an email account with them.

"Thor" - new article I've written

2011-04-29T15:43:00.000-05:00

Thor (2011) The powerful but arrogant warrior Thor is cast out of the fantastic realm of Asgard and sent to live amongst humans on Earth, where he soon becomes one of their finest defenders (a brief synopsis).

Read full article here:
http://www.examiner.com/speculative-fiction-in-st-louis/thor-2011

Another Store Selling My Books

2011-04-28T15:52:00.000-05:00

Walgreens in Highland is now selling my books as of today! You can't miss 'em as you walk in the front door! Woohoo! Also, they are hosting a book signing (my 5th signing location) on Sat., May 21 from 10 - 12. As with all the other locations, both books will be available, signed & include free bookmarks.

Saturday Book Signings (+ others)

2011-04-26T14:24:00.000-05:00

Sat., April 30 - Book Signings at two spots:
Marine Library from 10 - noon.
Box TV in Highland from 2:00 - 3:30.

Two more book signings will roll around on:
Tues, May 3 at DiMaggio's in Highland from 6pm to 8pm.
Sat., May 7 at Pizza Man in Troy from 11 - 1.

BOTH of my books will be available to buy that I will happily sign. If you are interested in the first book AND the second book, I am offering a special deal for the two together that will save you $3.50!! (Both come with free bookmarks made for that specific book.)

I look forward to chatting and chilling with lots of old AND NEW friends, fans and family!!

"Dylan Dog" - New article I've written

2011-04-25T15:14:00.000-05:00

New article I've written on the movie "Dylan Dog: Dead of Night".

Read here: http://www.examiner.com/speculative-fiction-in-st-louis/dylan-dog-dead-of-night-2010

New article on movie "Stake Land"

2011-04-22T14:37:00.000-05:00

Stake Land (2010)...Storyline: Vampires/Zombies---Martin was a normal teenage boy before the country collapsed in an empty pit of economic and political disaster. A vampire epidemic has swept across what is left of the nation's abandoned towns and cities, and it's up to Mister, a death dealing, rogue vampire hunter, to get Martin safely north to Canada, the continent's New Eden. (Written by Anonymous)

To read the entire article, click here:

http://www.examiner.com/speculative-fiction-in-st-louis/stake-land-2010

Article on "Unknown Scent" - Gina Marie Long

2011-04-21T15:45:00.000-05:00