Once upon a muse

I've added a new show to my top list of TV viewing this fall, and if last night's premiere was any indication of its quality, I have no doubt Once Upon a Time will soon skyrocket to first place.

I've anxiously awaited the arrival of Once Upon a Time since the first preview months ago, hopeful it would live up to its hype.

It exceeded it.

The official logline is: When a young boy who purports to be her son shows up on her doorstep, Emma Swan is drawn into a town where the magic and mystery of fairytales may be real and hold the key to unlocking the mysteries of her troubled past.


That's rather simplifying what I consider a brilliant concept that was, at least in the series opener, brilliantly executed.


Modern twists on fairy tales aren't new, and indeed are all the rage on the big screen, with the release of Beastly and Red Riding Hood last year. I enjoyed both of those movies (though admit neither lived up to its full potential). Once Upon a Time is something entirely different - and refreshing!


Each of the actors have dual roles - their storybook character, and the real-life person who lives in Storybrooke, Maine. (Don't groan, it's actually quite clever...) It was great fun to figure out each fairytale persona. Snow White is perfect, the evil Queen is delicious, Rimplestiltskin is incredible, and those seven dwarves? Fantastic!


Prince Charming ain't so bad himself, which is why Josh Dallas is this week's muse avatar. A head cold blindsided me yesterday afternoon and my thoughts are a bit jumbled from the overdose of cold and flu medication. It's going to take more than the wave of a magic wand to draw out more than a couple coherent sentences from me. Maybe the prince can help.


- Dawn


The Book In My Bag Today: The Night Circus, Erin Morgenstern

Huge congratulations to my dear friend, Jessica Bell, whose debut novel String Bridge releases Nov. 11, 2011. The book is a literary masterpiece, showcasing Jessica's astonishing talent.


But if that's not enough, Jessica also created a soundtrack for the book, writing and performing each song. Her voice is both haunting and beautiful, and yet another demonstration of her boundless passion for excellence. Melody Hill - On the Other Side releases today on iTunes. You'll want to pick this one up!

Last week, I revealed that "the other me" is taking part in the Crossroads Blog Tour. If you haven't checked it out, don't miss out on an opportunity to win free books and stellar swag from each of the 15 participating authors.


It's a paranormal creep-a-thon you won't want to miss!

And, lastly (I promise), Leap Books and Bridge Social Media is offering YOU a chance to win one of 13 copies of SPIRITED, a haunting collection of short stories by bestselling and dreadfully-talented debut authors of paranormal YA fiction.


Check out the Leap or Bridge blogs for details. You can follow the contest on Twitter three ways - @Spirited13, @BridgeSocial or @LeapBks. You never know what clues may be hidden amongst the tweets.