Nanowrimo or No

Nanowrimo starts tomorrow. A quick explanation for the nonwriterly types: a bunch of people attempt to write a novel in the course of November. National Novel Writing Month. They support each other through a social network and there are activities and forums, etc. The site is Nanowrimo.org

I really shouldn't do it. I planned to spend the month editing Llewyn's Faith while lady editor has Pestilence.

Also, I've never written a book in such a short amount of time. I'd probably blog a lot less. No time for drawing. There would only be time for the slapping of words into page. I type pretty quickly, but my brain sometimes turns to mush when I push it too hard.

I do have notes for a book I could work on though.

Argh. I’ll decide tomorrow.

i'm in a bookstore, occupying yer table

Whattup, y’all? We are having some hurricane-ish sort of weather. I’m in Indiana, so we’re basically just getting some (not excessive but still annoying) wind and rain. This morning while driving out of the neighborhood, I fishtailed, then overcorrected and had to correct again. The incident set the heart racing but nothing was damaged. Mustangs are not made for wet pavement. I didn’t even pull out that fast.

Anyway, there was no movie post yesterday due to the fact that our Netflix movie went missing. We spent this weekend getting caught up on the DVR watching.

Which brings me to the most fun of today! I have a volunteer publicist. She told me not to call her that because she didn’t want people to start sending her books but I forget what she told me to call her instead. 

She is D. Moore and she got a bookstore guy to let my book hang out in his store. Woo!

Here’s a pic of it on the local author table. She also dropped off the book and took the picture cuz she’s totally awesome.

You know what you should do? You should follow her blog and her Twitter. Here are the links.

https://twitter.com/ProductAmore

http://moorewrites.blogspot.com/

The store is run by Indy Reads, a literacy charity in Indianapolis. Here is a link for them - http://www.indyreads.org/

Be sure to check them out. People need to know how to read. 

cruising crown hill

Today was day one of the five-day weekend. We went to Crown Hill, which is a huge cemetery in the middle of Indianapolis. Here are some pics for your viewing enjoyment. 

I thought this was a very sad memorial. The inscription was just heartbreaking. 

A vote for Blank sign in front of the Blank tomb. I don't know; he might be better than the options we have now. 

Crown Hill is home to the highest elevation in Indianapolis. We found this statue on the walk up the hill. It was tall like a giant.

So, who's king of this grand hill?

James Whitcomb Riley! Here's a bit about him I pulled from Wikipedia. 

"James Whitcomb Riley (October 7, 1849 – July 22, 1916) was an American writer, poet, and best selling author. During his lifetime he was known as the Hoosier Poet and Children's Poet for his dialect works and his children's poetry respectively. His poems tended to be humorous or sentimental, and of the approximately one thousand poems that Riley authored, the majority are in dialect. His famous works include "Little Orphant Annie" and "The Raggedy Man".

Also the Riley Children's hospital was dedicated to him.

This is part of the detail on the tomb. It's a statue (bronze?) of a little girl reading a book. There are some words but I don't remember what they said exactly. A ginger got right in the way of my picture. I don't know what her deal is. lol

This is the inscription on the tomb lid thingy. Sorry I'm not up on my burial vocabulary. People put change on  the lid. I grabbed this quote about the coins from another blog. I don't know if it's true, but it makes sense. 

"After his death children began donating coins to help pay for his memorial.  The tradition of leaving coins on his monument continues today and money collected is donated to Mr. Riley’s legacy, The Riley Hospital for children.”

source: http://gravelyspeaking.com/2011/11/10/the-hoosier-poet/

 This is the view from the top of the hill. Riley's tomb was to my back when I took the picture. The Indianapolis skyline is at the center of the horizon.

This was one of my favorite things that we saw. I assume it's a statue of the lady buried here. I believe her name was Susan Downing...

and she does not approve.

I found out that John Dillinger is buried in Crown Hill but we didn't see his grave. maybe next time.

birthday fun times!

Today is my birthday! Yay, me. It was a good day, but tomorrow will be better because it’s the start of my 5-day weekend!! Oh yes, freedom, temporary and sweet.

In celebration of my special day, I thought I would pull some info about this fine 297^th day of the year, 297^th in a leap year.

Famous names who share my birthday:

Ryan Reynolds – YUM!

Weird Al – not yum but still cool.

Nancy Grace

Robert Trujillo –bassist for Metallica

Johnny Carson

Stuff that happened on my birthdate, but not the same year I was born.

1641 – Outbreak of the Irish rebellion – appropriate because I am both slightly Irish and occasionally rebellious.

1958 – premier of the Smurfs

2001 – Apple announces the ipod – funny because I don’t really like ipods all that much

Other stuff happened too, but I don’t need to go on all day, do I? I got these juicy tidbits from Wikipedia so if you want to see what happened on your birthday, just go there and type in your birthdate, minus the year. 

movie: The Avengers

Description from IMDB: “Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D. brings together a team of super humans to form The Avengers to help save the Earth from Loki and his army.”

That’s kind of a lame description. Basically Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Black Widow, Hulk, Nick Fury and assorted other characters team up to stop Loki (Thor’s adopted brother) from facilitating an alien invasion.

As you can imagine, most of this movie consists of kick ass action-y scenes. Heroes flying around, stuff blowing up, witty banter. It was all quite wonderful – just the way I like my flicks.

Seeing the characters from various other stories interact with each other was one of the greatest aspects of this movie. They brought along their respective histories and entered into brand spanking new conflicts.

The only complaint I had about this movie was how annoying Captain America was. Next to Iron Man’s wit and intelligence, he came off like a self-righteous dork. I didn’t like him as much in this movie.

The Avengers was totally awesome. I would love to see a sequel. It gets an A.

Guest Post: Dee Crabtree, author of Promise Road

Dee Crabtree is here to talk about her new book, Promise Road.

On its surface, Promise Road appears to be a book about scandal, infidelity and betrayal.  On a deeper level, it’s about mental illness.  My purpose in writing this story was to shine a light on this tragic problem; a problem that is very prevalent in our society.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health (nimh.nih.gov) an estimated one in four American adults suffers from a diagnosable mental disorder.  Some instances, such as minor mood disorders, are fairly benign and easily managed, while others, such as schizophrenia, can be complex and even dangerous.   

Emily, the main character of my book, was raised by two disturbed parents and she struggles to understand their behavior throughout her childhood.  She is painfully aware that her family is remarkably different from other families and she longs to know why.

As an adult, Emily develops a layman’s comprehension of mental illness and eventually realizes that both her mother and father are deeply afflicted.   While she learns to accept who her they are, she begins to question who is she is.  The mistakes she makes in life cause her to fear that she might suffer from the same ailments as her parents. 

A lot of people in our society grow-up in a situation that resembles Emily’s early years.  Unfortunately, unlike Emily, they may never develop the insight that might help ease the pain of their childhood.  My hope is that this book will enlighten readers and lead them to better understand their loved ones who may suffer from some form of mental illness.

SYNOPSIS

Insanity and infidelity in the Midwest

Columbus, Indiana was a quiet, pleasant place during the turbulent 1960s and 70s.  However, with a seriously sociopathic father and a bitter, narcissistic mother,  Emily Anne Taylor's life was anything but quiet and pleasant during those years.  She grew up in a broken, dysfunctional home and in an equally broken, dysfunctional culture.

As a grown woman, Emily is painfully aware that her parents' dubious choices and behaviors shaped her understanding of what constitutes normal behavior.  Countless unfortunate memories affect her deeply as she searches for love and happiness.  She questions her own sanity with every choice she makes. 

Just as Emily reluctantly begins a painful divorce, she becomes close friends, and then more, with a married man who appears to be her salvation - but is he truly her soul mate and the key to her happily-ever-after or is he just another insane choice?

Link to the author's website.

a movie and a bookie book

Hello! I would say happy Tuesday but then, is any Tuesday really a happy one?

Last night I dreamed that I was visiting an art museum while wearing grungy pajamas. I guess I should be happy that I wasn’t naked. The other people in the museum did not appreciate my attire.

I didn’t write up a movie post yesterday, so here’s a bit about what we watched. Get Low was the movie starring Robert Duvall and Sissy Spacek and Bill Murray and some other people. It’s about an old man who plans a funeral party while he’s still alive. There’s a mystery surrounding him and that story comes to light a little at a time, as many mysteries do. It’s a somewhat quiet but interesting movie. I liked it.

Guess what else . I have a pretty bookie! The CreateSpace version is now available on Amazon. Here is a pic. HERE is the link to Amazon. Any Facebook likes on the product page are quite appreciated. It has zero at the moment. 

The book looks nice on the shelf next to Destined. I'll be happy when the last book comes out and they can all hang out together. I will say that that fancy font is difficult to read in smaller sizes. If I could redo the cover designs, I would choose a font that's easier to read small.

popping in for a friday quickie

Inadvertent writing advice from Woody Harrelson

I was reading an interview with Woody Harrelson today and came to a line that really got my attention. The interview was for a movie he has coming out called Seven Psychopaths. He's actually talking about Martin McDonagh, who is the director and writer of the movie.

"Martin's one of those guys where the darkness and the light are giving each other the right amount of room to laugh hysterically."

How brilliant is that? It's quirky character depth in one simple sentence or quirky writer depth, either way you want to go. 

Link to the interview.

movie: Cabin in the Woods

I totally spaced the movie post yesterday, so we're having a Tuesday movie post this week.

We watched Cabin in the Woods. 

Description from IMDB: "Five friends go for a break at a remote cabin in the woods, where they get more than they bargained for. Together, they must discover the truth behind the cabin in the woods."

What do I say about this movie? It starts out as one thing and morphs into this almost completely different thing, sort of. It's somewhat easy to guess where the story is going as you watch it, but once it gets to a certain point, the thing just dissolves into chaos. This movie is for people who can go with the flow in a story. If you like weird stuff like I do, you could like this movie. 

The special effects are epic. I can't say much without inserting a spoiler or two, but let's just say, there's a lot to look at. 

Cabin in the Woods is crazy and awesome. It gets an A. 

Orson and Ernest

I stumbled on this video today whilst perusing tweets on the Twitter. This is Orson Wells talking about his friendship with Ernest Hemingway. I never think of the literary greats being friends, except for Mary Shelley and her bunch, which was why I was excited to see this interview. The video kind of cuts off there at the end, but you still get a good sense of the friendship dynamic. I love this.

an inaccurate copyright notice

I finished the longest book ever today! Ok, it probably isn’t the longest book ever, but it sho nuff did seem like it – 800+ pages. I think they could’ve lopped about 200 pages off that thing and the story would have been fine.

The book was 11/22/63 by Stephen King.

I had some trouble with the way they wrote the copyright notice in the front of the book. First, here’s the book description from Amazon.

“Life can turn on a dime—or stumble into the extraordinary, as it does for Jake Epping, a high school English teacher in a Maine town. While grading essays by his GED students, Jake reads a gruesome, enthralling piece penned by janitor Harry Dunning: fifty years ago, Harry somehow survived his father’s sledgehammer slaughter of his entire family. Jake is blown away . . . but an even more bizarre secret comes to light when Jake’s friend Al, owner of the local diner, enlists Jake to take over the mission that has become his obsession—to prevent the Kennedy assassination. How? By stepping through a portal in the diner’s storeroom, and into the era of Ike and Elvis, of big American cars, sock hops, and cigarette smoke. . . . Finding himself in warmhearted Jolie, Texas, Jake begins a new life. But all turns in the road lead to a troubled loner named Lee Harvey Oswald. The course of history is about to be rewritten . . . and become heart-stoppingly suspenseful.”

Now, did we notice some of those famous names/events? Yes, I think we did.

Let’s see what the copyright notice page says.

“This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.”

Hmmm. Is it coincidental? I’m thinking no. A lot of the book is based in fact, obviously not the time travel business, but the Kennedy assassination, Oswald, his wife, etc, many details were true. I realize the notice is the standard industry fare, but I think, in this case, the publisher should have altered the copyright in some way to account for all of the real stuff in there. 

The book is very good, btw. 

haunted housing: Indiana Fields of Fear

I had no movie post yesterday because the fam and I were off to Lafayette for media night at Indiana Fields of Fear in Lafayette, Indiana. We got to experience all three attractions. I pasted a description I stole from their official website below.

"FEAR IS ALIVE! Indiana Fields of Fear offers 3 haunted attractions for the 2012 season (October 5 – October 28). Our haunted attractions include The Gallows, Creature Cavern, and Hogs Hollow Farm.

On December 11, 1816, Indiana became the 19th state. The fields of Indiana were filled with rich soil, bringing good fortune to those that settled here. As the state grew in population, predators began to feast on the innocent. Torture and death lurked in the darkness. SO, come join those that have come before you and meet your fate in three of the Indiana Fields of FEAR!"

Fields of Fear is fun! Three haunted houses, each with its own story.

We headed into Hogs Hollow Farm first. It began with a short stint in a boxcar in which a crazy lady gives you the rundown on some tasty meat the people at the farm served her. Visitors then venture deep into the realm of crazy country people, ma and pa in the farmhouse, their livestock nearby. All the while, all is dark, but you aren't alone. There's a cacophony along the entire path, screaming, creepy characters emerging from the scenery to scare the crap out of you.

The same is true of The Gallows. A ghastly mortician in a top hat ushers visitors into a hellish afterlife through a funeral home and a large coffin-shaped doorway. Along this second path, the tormented deceased express a desire to leave. Meat and bodies hang in various spots throughout.

Last but certainly not least, we headed into The Creature Cavern. Wow. This thing is nuts. I don't want to insert any spoilers, but this was unlike any other haunted house experience that I've had. The entrance and at least one other part were...unnerving, which is the whole point of a haunted house. AmIright? If you're not a fan of a small spaces, this section will freak you the funk out. It's not all claustrophobia, however. Creepy crawlers lurk in corners of swampy scenes, devouring victims and such.

It was a very fun time. A combo ticket for all three attractions is only $17, plus I think discounts are available. It's a bit of a drive from Indy, but it's a leisurely one up 65.

Here are some pics of the children and me and various creatures from the cast after our run through the houses. Everyone was really nice. And yes, I am aware that I look completely sloshed in this picture. Let me assure you that I was not sloshed, just geeking out. lol

Here are some links if you would like more information.

http://indianafieldsoffear.com/

http://www.facebook.com/IndianaFieldsOfFear