Non-sparkly aMUSEment

Until this weekend, I'd kind of forgotten about the hotness of Ethan Hawke. I can hardly remember a movie I've seen him in, and despite the fact I have heard he's written a book or two, I've never read them.

But then I watched Daybreakers with my handsome husband on Saturday night and now I'm definitely back on the Hawke bandwagon.

In Daybreakers, Ethan plays a non-sparkly vampire named Edward. He's a blood scientist in a society where there are more vampires than humans - in fact, the human race is on the verge of extinction. Edward's superiors want him to find a blood-substitute. Edward would rather find a cure.

I loved the movie, even though it hasn't had great reviews. In a vampire-saturated marketplace (no complaints here), Daybreakers offered something different. A bit of dark, a bit of fun.

The movie also reminded me of how much I love Ethan Hawke. Which is why I've cast him in the role of muse avatar for the week. It's been a while since I've checked out his work ethic, but he does possess some of those material characteristics I require... Hopefully he'll provide enough inspiration to push me to completion. Again.

Sidenote: Paul Bettany was also in the running for muse avatar this week. But then I watched Legion. Really. Bad. Movie. So bad not even the sexy Paul could save it. So sad.

Seen either movie? What did you think? Any flicks on your list this past weekend?

The Book In My Bag Today: Dead Frog on the Porch, Jan Markley

Book 31 - Imitation in Death

Somebody get me a bucket of ice water - Nora Roberts (J.D. Robb) sure can write a love scene.

I'm pretty sure I've read Imitation in Death before but it's been a while, and after finding a treasure trove of In Death books at a recent used book sale, I'm giving up on trying to go in order - I can never remember where I left off in the series.

Not to worry, though. If you're familiar with this series (and I'll go on record to say you should be), you know exactly what I mean when I say that Roarke is an amazing male specimen. The chemistry between him and Eve is extraordinary - something I never fail to note with each of the books in this series. And of course, Eve is a brilliant character. Sigh.

But then, you'll notice I tend to gush over Nora a lot. She's such a smooth writer, and her grasp on human relationships is wonderful. Whether it's her J.D. Robb books or her straight up romances, Nora knows how to evoke intense emotion. No surprise several parts in this novel brought tears to my eyes.

The In Death series is set in the future where Pepsi comes in tubes and people commute in hovercrafts. Real food (and coffee) is reserved for the rich and planet hops are as common as taking a vacation to Hawaii. In Imitation in Death we're transported back in time - though not physically. The villain is imitating famous historical killers, starting with Jack the Ripper.

The thriller writer in me is fascinated with the methods of muderers (famous or not), and most of the killers imitated in this book are somewhat familiar to me. Still, I loved the modern twists. (And Karen, darling, if you have NOT read this one, you need to...)

There's a (small) piece of me that would love to try my hand at a police procedural, but I doubt I have the skill to weave together the parts of the puzzle with any kind of authenticity. Luckily, there's enough books in this series to quench my need.

The Book In My Bag Today: Dead Frog on a Porch, Jan Markley

Shuffling the soundtrack

My muse wanted to write last night. Honest.

The file was open on my desktop (step one). The radio played softly in the background. I'd just poured a fresh Diet Coke with a splash of whiskey, and handsome hubby was finishing off the last of dinner's dishes (yeah, I'm lucky like that).

Prime. Writing. Time.

Then wham! A familiar Goo Goo Dolls song filtered through the living room and somehow infected my muse with an insatiable urge to watch a movie. Not just any flick, but City of Angels - the very movie featuring the very song playing on my stereo.

I fought the urge, albeit with little enthusiasm.

Handsome husband was drying the last plate when I turned to him and asked: Hey, have you seen City of Angels? He scrunched his nose a bit, shook his head - and I read his mind. Chick flick? I softened it with: It's got Nic Cage in it.

Score.

And just like that, the laptop lid is closed, I'm downing the drink, my radio's off, there's a box of Kleenex at my side, and the City of Angels DVD is plugged in and ready.

Oh how easily my muse is distracted.

As I tossed and turned before succumbing to sleep last night, I thought about the power of that Goo Goo Dolls song. The lyrics are powerful and obviously perfect for the movie: I'd give up forever to touch you. (swoon) My reaction upon hearing them was instant.

This isn't the first time music has compelled (or distracted) me. When I hear Goodbye Horses by Q Lazarus I think of Silence of the Lambs. If I hear a Ramstein song, I want to watch XXX - though, a picture of Vin Diesel will do that as well. And I've watched Twilight a couple of times after hearing the soundtrack echo from my stepdaughter's room. One of my favourite movies is Streets of Fire, partially because I love Diane Lane, partially because I love Michael Pare, and mostly because I love, love, love the music. It's a rock and roll fable! How cool is that? (Also, it reminds me of my youth, because my sister and I watched it every year when we were kids. That and Hot Dog. I was a crappy babysitter...)

When I write, I listen to music. But it's often my character's soundtrack. Jagger, for instance, loves Audioslave and I think I'd be hard-pressed to sing a single line from an Audioslave song. Mario likes Madonna - and, um, Marilyn Manson. I know, he's eclectic. And although Nico has probably never heard a Muse song, that's what is playing in the background when I'm pushing through the confessional scenes.

Sometimes I wonder if later, when the novel is complete and hopefully on the shelf, will certain songs remind me of its creation? Is there a single song that will become the song?

How about you? Do you write/work to music? Do any songs make you want to dance? sing? watch a specific movie? What are the songs that make up the soundtrack of your life?

Muse packing it in

It's a sad day for me, folks.

After eight seasons of 24, Kiefer Sutherland is packing it in - no more 24-hour ticking time bombs, no shuddering plot twists, no agonizing love scenes with women who just die anyway, no more shouting, torturing and shooting.

No. More. Jack Bauer.

*tear*

Sexy Ian had his hands full last week as my muse after the mishap (linked here for you because hey, I like torture) and while he honestly came through, I need an avatar with a bit more aggression if I want to see these revisions across the finish line (again).

I figure after tonight, Kiefer's going to be bored. That post-24 feeling - a little lost, a little sad, a little stir crazy. I have no doubt I'll be able to relate.

So, maybe Kiefer and I could help each other out.

He's been my muse avatar a few times (much to my handsome hubby's head shaking dismay) but he does such a good job. He's hard on me, like he is with terrorists. He knows just how to break me - right before the breakdown. And well, yeah, I'm kind of crushing on him.

No writing tonight, though. You'll find me with a box of kleenex on the couch watching my modern-day MacGyver bring closure to eight seasons of ridiculous and brilliant television. It's ok if you don't agree - I'm not likely to share him :-)

The Book In My Bag Today: Imitation in Death, J.D. Robb

Book 30 - Thirsty

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: You want to go here today. Creepy Query Girl has an awesome interview with Harry Bingham on her blog.

And now back to our regularly scheduled programming:

When my BF and I started this whole 100 Books in 2010 challenge, we laid down a few ground rules.

For one, picture books didn't count. Short story collections were fair game, and YA definitely qualified.

We vowed to genre hop. We promised to peek outside our comfort zones, even if just a little. Fair rules, don't you think?

But since I'm also a writer - and thus read a considerable amount of first draft material from my amazing writerly friends - I made one more rule for myself: I couldn't count any of their unfinished, unpublished material.

I first broke that rule with Margaret Macpherson's truly awe-inspiring literary novel Body Trade. Although unpublished, I have little doubt it will be: this isn't her first book and she has many pub credits to her name. Plus, Body Trade was, essentially, complete, so really, I was only breaking the "unpublished" part of my rule.

Not even halfway into the challenge, I'm bending the rule again, this time after finishing a thorough read of Thirsty (tentative title), a (pretty much complete) young adult novel by Edmonton author-extraordinnaire Rita Feutl.

Set in a dystopian future where water usage is tightly-controlled (and limited), Thirsty is the story of four quirky children who use MacGyver -like thinking to protect Earth from completely losing it's most precious resource. The underlying message is subtle, but clear;  the theme of "what if water disappeared forever?" flows through the text with utter brilliance - and without preaching. Rita has some serious writing chops.

In Thirsty, Rita has created four amazing kids, each with their own talent (like Fern's ability to "speak" to birds and Xiphoid's ability to crack any lock). Their personalities are distinct, and each character is sympathetic, interesting and smart. One of them reminds me so much of my youngest nephew I couldn't stop picturing his cute little face the entire read.

The story takes place on Earth, but also on Gork, a technologically-advanced planet and the essential control centre for the world Rita has created. Maybe it's the geek in me, but I loved all of the great inventions - like PedGones for travel, and Viewphones for communication, and interesting foods that would likely NOT pass your country's safety protocols but would rank high on your teenager's want list.

Rita is a crisp, clean writer with a strong handle on craft. There isn't room for fluff, but I admit, there are some paragraphs of description that take my breath away. I'm not a fan of overwriting - and have seen the bloodbath that can sometimes happen after the ruthless slice of an editor's red pen - but Rita gives just enough descriptive flow to remind you of her incredible talent. She's a tough chick to critique :-)

Together, we worked through a couple of kinks she'd discovered, small fixes that shouldn't take long to iron out. And then it's off to her editor, who I'm certain will drink it up with enthusiasm. I know I did - I started it in early evening and stayed up almost all night to quench my thirst.

I'm looking forward to spending time with Rita this weekend as we tackle our works in progress in the comfort of her basement. I think our muses will get along just fine.

The Book In My Bag Today: Imitation in Death, J.D. Robb

The perfect cup

My husband makes the perfect cup of coffee.

I was reminded of this in my groggy pre-caffeinated state when as I wandered up one flight of stairs from the laundry room he handed me a jolt of java to ensure I had enough energy to make it up the second staircase without tripping over our sleeping bull mastiff.

Today it might have been Maxwell House, or even Folgers. I'm not the coffee-buyer in our house, unless we're splurging on Italian espresso grounds, so I can't pinpoint a specific brand. What I do know is this - it wouldn't matter. My hubby knows how to fix it just right.

In the past two years, he's mastered the sensitive balance of required sweetness. He understands that Southern Butter Pecan creamer eliminates the need for sugar, and that if we're out of creamer, I'd rather go...gulp...without. It's not so much the taste of coffee I enjoy but rather what it does for me.

And he knows, like he knew this morning, that after a long evening of writing, a perfect cup of coffee will right my world. For many reasons - his mad coffee skills included - I love that man.

So, Starbucks for you? Does coffee inspire your mojo?

Oh yeah. Have you entered yet? Deadline is TOMORROW.

The Book In My Bag Today: Imitation in Death, J.D. Robb

Book 29 - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Hi bandwagon, thanks for letting me catch up.

For months I stared at the cover of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, debating whether or not to take the plunge.

It's an intimidating book. In size alone. At more than 800 pages, Stieg Larrson's novel weighs about three pounds. The chapters are long-ish, the type small-ish. I admit, I wasn't sure I could commit.

The year is dwindling away and I'd only completed 28 books in my 100 Books in 2010 challenge. Could I realistically fit this tome into my schedule?

Fate intervened.

At a giant book sale, I found a perfect copy of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo for a $1. Somehow, it then landed at the TOP of my TBR pile. I read the first chapter - and more than a week later, I'm proud to say I've completed all 835 pages.

Though not without struggle.

That isn't to say the book isn't good. Larrson created cmemorable and compelling characters, not at all cardboard-cutouts. Of particular note, of course, IS the girl with the dragon tattoo, who kind of reminds me of Lara Croft without the cliche. She's a tough chick with a crappy past and some mad skills, though somewhat illegal.

Lisbeth Salander is (eventually) paired up with Mikael Blomkvist, a disgraced journalist who is hired by an eccentric Swedish businessman to try and solve the mysterious disappearance of his niece 40 years earlier. There are several other story lines as well - and happily, they're woven together in a way that makes sense.

Although I enjoyed the book, the strength of its success (in my opinion) is Lisbeth. Near the end of the book, I found myself wanting to skip through Blomkvist's point of view so I could see what happens to Lisbeth next - and sadly, I found the final scene with her a bit disappointing. That being said, I understand the second book in the series is primarily about her, an equally as intimidating novel, but one I will definitely read...at some point.

After finishing the book last night, I thought "sleeping on it" would help me decide how I truly feel about it. I'm still undecided.

The first 100 pages or so were difficult - the book was translated from Swedish and it took some time to get used to the names (long and difficult to pronounce), the word choices, the spelling. And in the first few chapters, there are large paragraphs about a Swedish financial conspiracy that are important but make for rather dry reading.

But then there were giant portions of the book that mesmerized me. Rich character development, exciting twists of plot, and a unique writing style propelled me through the middle of the novel. To be honest, I even dreamed about Lisbeth and Mikael on more than one occasion.

And then...things teetered off again. I struggled through the last 200 pages.

I can't even say the book should be "X" number of pages shorter because I wouldn't even know where to cut. And while there doesn't seem to be any padding to the text, many scenes lack the sensory detail that would help to provide a better sense of place. Could I describe Sweden to you? No. But I could tell you the innermost secrets of Lisbeth and Mikael as though I'd known them my whole life.

Which is why I couldn't have stopped reading the book if I'd tried.

The Book In My Bag Today: Imitation in Death, J.D. Robb