Monday, June 17, 2013

Anne R. Allen Takes on Martha Stewart! Man of Steel Movie Review and Ninja News

It is my great honor to welcome the amazing Anne R. Allen today!

Blues for Martha Stewart

People always ask writers where they get their ideas. Most writers don’t know how to answer that, because the answer is pretty much “everywhere.”

It’s funny what can plant the first seeds of a novel in your subconscious. For my comic mystery, No Place Like Home, it was an odd news story about how Martha Stewart had learned to play the blues while serving her prison time for insider trading.

It put this hilarious picture of Martha in my head: I saw her with stringy hair, all grungy, sitting by a hobo’s campfire playing the blues on a beat-up guitar.

It turned out the story was totally untrue, but it stuck with me.

A few years later, I heard a story on NPR about a wealthy New York magazine editor who lost everything to Bernie Madoff.

I thought, oh, my: what if Martha Stewart had lost everything to Bernie Madoff, and instead of going to jail, she’d ended up homeless. Would she have bounced back so elegantly?

When I started to write that day—working on a whole different story—in walked a Martha-like home decorating maven named Doria Windsor, editor of Home magazine, married to a Bernie Madoff-type named Harry Sharkov, recently deceased.

So I burned her house down and left her penniless and on the lam as a suspect in her husband’s death (authors can be so mean.)

I changed the book’s working title to Blues for Martha Stewart.

Doria managed to find herself a trio of intrepid homeless friends named Lucky and Bucky and Joe—and an ugly little dog named Toto. Then she got a job working for Camilla Randall, my always-polite reluctant sleuth—who was supposed to be the heroine of the story. (Sorry Camilla)

I even got them all sitting around a campfire, singing to the strumming of a beat-up guitar.

But I never could get my “Martha” to play the blues. Somehow she never looked right with that guitar, no matter how I many times I tried to put it in the scene.

Eventually, Camilla re-asserted herself as the primary heroine by threatening to become homeless too. She set out to find out if Harry “the Shark” Sharkov was a murderer as well as the Ponzi schemer who stole her landlord’s fortune, and both she and Doria finally got homes and found a little romance along the way.

Little Toto made his way home, too.

Anne R. Allen is a former actress and stage director who lives on the Central Coast of California. She’s the author of six romantic-comedy mysteries. Her latest is NO PLACE LIKE HOME. She has written a guidebook for authors with Catherine Ryan Hyde (author of the iconic novel Pay it Forward.) HOW TO BE A WRITER IN THE E-AGE…AND KEEP YOUR E-SANITY! She shares an award-winning blog with NYT bestselling author Ruth Harris at Anne R. Allen’s Blog…with Ruth Harris, named one of the Best 101 Sites for Writers by Writers Digest.


Ninja News

Jack Lewis Baillot just released A Stretch of Loyalty, Book One in the Loyalty Trilogy. Congratulations, Jack!!

Pat Hatt made some awesome wanted posters for his blogger buddies. Check out mine! Thanks, Pat.

Sean McLachlan’s latest book just came out from Osprey Publishing - Tombstone - Wyatt Earp, the O.K. Corral, and the Vendetta Ride 1881-82. Congratulations, Sean!


And don’t forget the Wednesday Movie Quote – animal films!

Cover Reveal

Taking Time and Other Science Fiction Stories by Ellie Garratt 
Release date – July 15, 2013

Science fiction stories of time and space...

The future of humanity must be decided in Next Phase. Winning the Planetary Lottery is not as lucky as it first seems in Schrodinger's Gamble. An apocalypse and its aftermath threaten to tear one couple apart in Daiker's Children. In Life As I Know It a reclusive man finds both his heart and home invaded during an alien harvest. In Taking Time a demon seeking shelter on a distant planet finds himself facing a very different kind of demon, after answering a frontier settlement's plea for help.

Movie Review

Man of Steel
Caught the 3D showing early on Friday and yes, it was awesome!
The actors did a great job – they picked the right people for the roles. Henry Cavill was perfectly cast as Superman. (I would like to see Laurence Fishburne more in the next film though.)
The special effects were excellent (as expected) and it had a solid plot. Purists might note some changes, but the film was patterned after the New 52 DC comics, and I had no problem with it.
Like The Dark Knight, this is a serious Superman. It’s heavy handed – almost too much at times – but that’s better than a cheesy adaptation.
I’m a huge fan of fight scenes, but even I thought “enough already” at the ending.
The only other problems included odd editing and a bit of a distant feel to the film.
However, it’s a great start to what will hopefully be a long running series – made $125 million this weekend. Recommended!
Now, where’s my Justice League of America movie?

Any odd news spark your creativity? Following Anne’s awesome site? Excited about all the new books? And did anyone else see Man of Steel this weekend?


151 comments:

Kyra Lennon said...

I've heard some very mixed reviews about Man of Steel. I think it looks amazing!

Huntress said...

Ive heard the movie score for Man of Steel is excellent as well.

Yay for Ellie!

Annalisa Crawford said...

MAN OF STEEEEEEELLLLLL!!!!!!

That's all :-)

Sean McLachlan said...

Great cover Ellie! Who was your designer or did you design it yourself?

Ellie Garratt said...

Thank you for giving my cover reveal a shout-out, Alex!

Sean - my cover designer is the awesome Ida Jansson at www.amygdaladesign.net. I only wish I was half as talented as her!

Unknown said...

Man of Steel looks amazing! I didn't get to add my fifteen bucks to the $125 million, but I will very soon.

Thanks for sharing Annie's book and writing journey. Mean authors write great books and this one sounds like a good read.

M.J. Fifield said...

I love the story behind Anne's story.

Haven't seen Man of Steel. I'm not a huge Superman fan, so if I do see it, it'll be on DVD. And definitely not in 3-D.

The Words Crafter said...

No Place Like Home sounds like a good read :) And Jason said he like the new MoS better than Avengers. We may go to war over that, but as I haven't seen MoS, I can't say too much, lol!

Heather M. Gardner said...

Good morning, sir!

I've heard great things about Man of Steel. So glad they finally got something going over in DC land. Justice League may be too hard for them to pull off though. If only they had let Mr. Whedon get his hands on Wonder Woman. Well, you know what I mean.

Great book news here too! Thanks for passing on the word!

Heather

Optimistic Existentialist said...

Two of my coworkers saw Superman this weekend and had two WIDELY different opinions. I am seeing it this week. I saved Patt's poster that he made for me and I am using it in a future blog post of mine lol.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Ellie, you're welcome!

Words, I'd say Avengers was better.

Heather, they would have to reboot Batman to pull it off.

Brinda said...

I love how Anne's mind works. Her book sounds very entertaining.

Jeff Hargett said...

I've been debating on catching Superman in the theaters or waiting for the DVD. Cute poster. :) Congrats to Ellie and Sean and Anne. too.

Matthew MacNish said...

Good to know your thoughts on Man of Steel, because I've been hearing mostly bad reviews.

Sandra Ulbrich Almazan said...

Anne's book sounds like a lot of fun, but I'm definitely keeping my eye out for the SF anthology Taking Time!

T. Powell Coltrin said...

I saw Man of Steel over the weekend. I agree the right people were chosen to play the parts. LOVED Kevin and Diane playing the parents. No matter what, Diane can't looked bad -- aged or not. It's not my favorite movie for sure, but I'm going to take the older Grandsons to see it. I felt "disconnected" many times.

Natalie Aguirre said...

Fun to hear how Anne came up for the idea of her book.

Luanne G. Smith said...

Hoping to see Man of Steel mid-week.

And I had to laugh at the premise of the Martha Stewart book. Pretty creative. :)

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Jeff, it definitely needs the big screen treatment.

Teresa, yeah not the best, but still really good.

mooderino said...

A Justice League movie would be great. Actually a Superman/Batman movie would probably be even better.

mood

Karen Baldwin said...

NO PLACE LIKE HOME...is a good thing. And I should have seen Man of Steel, but didn't want to stand in the long line so I opted for After Earth...eh! Other than the popcorn and getting out of the house, it was awful.

Stina said...

I'd heard that the reviews for Superman weren't all that great. I guess my 11 year old assumes that anything without a 4 star rating is a flop. lol

Pat Hatt said...

They will probably rush the justice league movie now and it won't have the same build up as the avengers. But who knows could be good. And yep ideas come from all around, hence the wanted posters lol

Mark Koopmans said...

LOVED Annie's story - gosh she has a great voice in just that synopsis, so more power to her elbow :)

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Good to hear Superman has a solid plot. Far too many movies are a bit thin on plot.

Tara Tyler said...

love the story behind No Place Like Home, thats awesome!
pulling for ellie!
and the review of superman is as expected, solid!

and thanks for always supporting me!

mshatch said...

Love Anne's blog and we're featuring Ellie's cover reveal at Unicornbell today, too :)

Jo said...

I heard on TV that World War Z did well this weekend too. For me there will only be one Superman, Christopher Reeve.

Juliana Haygert said...

Wow, love the Wanted poster! lol
Can't wait to see Man of Steel!!

Old Kitty said...

Yay for little Toto!! All the best to Anne!!

And big happy dance for lovely Ellie's lovely cover reveal too!!!

I love men in red pants so am disappointed that Superman's ditched his. But nevermind - there is always the Capn's invisible underwear to turn to! LOL! Take care
x

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Moody, I'll take both.

Leigh, I'm sorry you had to sit through that train wreck.

Lynda, it was a good plot and all made sense - double rare!

Tara, of course!

Jo, we don't get that film until Friday.

Kitty, thanks!

Mark Means said...

Congrats to Jack!! Woohoo! :)

Saw Man of Steel this past weekend and have to agree with everything you said about it. I was concerned, at first, but those concerns gave way to 'oh wow!' as the movie went on.

My only gripe was the overuse of the zoom lens....and that's just a nitpick.

Great film :)

Julie Flanders said...

This sounds like such a fun book. Congratulations to Anne! And I totally love Ellie's cover.

Jeremy [Retro] said...

I thought Man of Steel was a great escape and rebirth from the last incarnation "superman returns"... did you catch the few things... with names like wayne, lex and the flying man junk... only people who saw it, will get it i think. i am not familiar with 52 dc...

Anonymous said...

Congratulations to Anne on what seems a very good book and wish her every success.

I had to up date my cell phone so to set it up had to take phone with laptop into shop. Was told my laptop was very poorly. It is ok now but oh the trials and tribulations I'm getting, feel like tearing my hair out.
Yvonne.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Alex .. Anne's been quite clever getting her characters to sort of follow real stories with some twists in the plot .. and the book sounds a good read ..

Man of Steel - unlikely to see, but must keep an ear open for the music ..

Love Ellie's cover .. and her 2nd anthology of short stories ..

I saw Les Mis (finally) and I didn't cry! Popped up to London town too to see some illuminated manuscripts .. for me a busy weekend! And watched some tennis .. cheers and now the tennis is here in Eastbourne .. I'm going to enjoy it!! .. Hilary

Bossy Betty said...

If the battle was between Martha and Man of Steel.... Well, I am betting on Martha!

Laura Clipson said...

I get inspired by my experiences in life, stories I read/watch and sometimes dreams. Most often, I'm just doing something (working, driving etc.) not really thinking about anything, when a huge idea will pop right into my head.

Glynis Peters said...

What a great way to gain inspiration! I knew Martha had spent time inside, but only ever envisaged her from my crafting side, all neat and tidy!

Glynis Smy: Author

Crystal Collier said...

I felt the same way bout Man of Steel. I'd heard the mixed reviews, but LOVED the focus on character/inner struggles, and yes, I too felt like the battle scenes got a little, uh, long? I mean, the fifth time Superman got thrown down on his back I was thinking, "Really? Again?" Regardless, it was awesome.

S.A. Larsenッ said...

Great image of Martha Stewart! I totally see it, Anne!

A Beer for the Shower said...

That's a hell of a great story on coming up with "No Place Like Home." I love weird, random facts like Martha Stewart learning the blues.

Also, I'm pretty excited to see Man of Steel, and admittedly, I've never even been into Superman. Something about a man who wears his underwear on the outside that doesn't sit right with me.

Karen Lange said...

Thanks for sharing Anne with us today, Alex. I love to hear how writers come up with ideas! Thanks also for all the news. Happy Monday!

Ciara said...

I've seen mixed reviews for Man of Steel. I don't have any time to see a movie right now. My big TV is three hours a week, now that Game of Thrones is off. Falling Skies, Defiant, and one other. Yes, I'm a sci-fi geek and proud of it. :)

Rachel Schieffelbein said...

Your mystery sounds great! I'll have to recommend it to my mom, she's always on the look out for cool stuff like that. :)

Jennifer Lane said...

I adore the backstory to No Place Like Home.

Ooh, a serious Superman. I initially read bad reviews but you're the second blogger who's given the film a thumbs up.

Marta Szemik said...

We had to choose between Man of Steel and Star Treck this Saturday and Star Treck won :)
Man of Steel in two weeks.
Thank you for your support with W4Ws Alex <3

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Jeremy, I haven't read any of The New 52 either.

Yvonne, sorry you've had so many computer issues.

Crystal, or all the times he was thrown through a building.

Brandon and Bryan, that's funny!

Ciara, be proud of your geekness!

Melissa said...

I thoroughly enjoyed Anne's post.

I think the strangest inspiration for a story I've had is from a short, silly video on AFV. It didn't really have anything to do with the story itself, but it brought to mind a killer opening scene. Now I just have to figure out a plot to go with it. LOL The scene and sketchy notes are sitting in a file on my laptop.

Congrats on the new releases and cover reveals. :)

Stephen Tremp said...

I'll catch The Man of Steel once the lines die down a bit. I'm just not into crowds and standing in lines like I used to be.

Good luck to Sean and Ellie's cover rocks!!! I love anything blue and black.

Liesel K. Hill said...

Loved Man of Steel as well. Didn't have any problems with the changes from tradition. Didn't sere it in 3D but still enjoyed it. :D

Michael Offutt, Phantom Reader said...

Regarding Man of Steel, I would ask you where do you think they could go from here? As the opener to a series, they almost destroyed the world. How will they top that?

Anne R. Allen is so right. Writers do get their inspiration from everywhere.

I love the cover art for Ellie's book. In a way, it kind of reminds me of your covers but with a ton more blue in it.

Jackie said...

I can't wait to watch Man of Steel. I think it looks better than the other Superman flicks. And I read that the writers stuck close to the comics so that's a bonus to me!

Carol Kilgore said...

Man of Steel is on my list.

Anne - I loved the story behind the story of your new book. Looking forward to reading!

Sarah Ahiers said...

I liked Superman (and am excited for the sequels) but the movie had a lot of structural problems and tons of little plot holes and stupid character decisions made just to serve the plot (or to give an actor more screen time) A lot of it could have been fixed easily, but it was like they didn't care enough or something to just fix the little problems

ilima said...

Of course I saw Man of Steel (Henry Cavill) this weekend. I’m ready to go see it (him) again. ☺ And my review would be identical to yours. Glad you liked it.

Emily R. King said...

LOVE the cover of Ellie's book.

Thanks for the movie review!

Summer Ross said...

Want to see Man of Steel- it looks good and everyone I know who's seen it likes it. Great Cover Ellie!

~Summer

Catherine Stine said...

Blues for Martha Stewart is a funny book name!
I haven't seen Superman. I'm looking forward to the Lone Ranger, and later this summer, to Elysium.

SC Author said...

Yup, I need to watch this movie.

LisaAnn said...

Hello, my friend! I loved Anne's interview, and Ellie's cover is absolutely gorgeous. Hope you are having a wonderful day!

Bish Denham said...

No Place Like Home sounds like a hoot, Anne. As for the new Superman movie, I'll wait til it comes out on Netflix.

baygirl32 said...

I can't wait to see Man of Steel (unfortunately it won't be until next week)

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Marta, you had to see Star Trek, so good choice. And happy to support you!

Melissa, that is unusual, but whatever works.

Michael, as long as Superman has been around, they could go anywhere. Maybe they'll try to blow up the solar system next.

Sarah, I thought the structure was fine, just some weird editing moments.

Baygirl, it will still be around.

Livia Peterson said...

I can't wait to see Man of Steel this Wednesday! My expectations are ridiculously high. I'm also worried that I will walk out of the theatre disappointed.

I love loud action movies, but if the action goes on too long, I feel like it's a cliche.

I hope Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Russell Crowe, et cetera do well with their performances, but I have a feeling they're chacters will be two-dimensional and will be explored in-depth in the sequel because this is a ORIGIN story after all.

Man of Steel is my MUST-SEE of the Summer, so of course, I may be too generous to the film when I critique the film and write a movie review.

It's just the matter of, "Will I enjoy it? Will I be transported to another place for two hours and is it effective enough for me to care about the plot and characters at the same time?"

I've heard mixed reviews of Man of Steel. People either LOVE IT or HATE IT to a certain extent. I'm so looking forward to making my opinion. I just hope the word-of-mouth brainwashes my own opinion - haha. I love big blockbuster movies because they're mindless entertainment!

I love your movie reviews, Alex! A very awesome one here with Man of Steel! Now please ... don't get me any more excited for Man of Steel! I'm way too hyped for it as it is!!!

Andrew Leon said...

I'm more ambivalent about MoS. I liked the opening sequence on Krypton, but, really, the movie ended being about Zod, which bothers me in the same way as Burton's Batman, which was about the Joker.

Livia Peterson said...

I mean, I just hope the word-of-mouth DOESN'T brainwashes my opinion - haha.

cleemckenzie said...

I've heard the Superman movie is great. Have to catch it soon. Thanks for mentioning all the new books.

Jeff Beesler said...

I'm still working on trying to see Star Trek Into Darkness. Heck, I'm still working on trying to see movies from five years ago. My to-be-watched movie list is almost as long as my to-be-read book list!

L. Diane Wolfe said...

I can't see Martha with a guitar either. Unless she built it.

Man of Steel was good.

Christine Rains said...

Fantastic post, Anne! Love what inspired you. Sometimes weird news stories get my muse going as well. Awesome books out this week. Hope you're having a wonderful Monday, Alex!

Gwen Gardner said...

Wow, I love the story about how Blues For Martha Stewart / No Place Like Home came about - nice job, Anne!

Congrats to Jack, Sean and Ellie!

Alex - you're a wanted man, dude! LOL, those wanted posters are fun :)

Yolanda Renée said...

Anne's book sounds fun, love to hear how and where folks get inspired.

Good review for the superman, but I'll still wait for the DVD.

And go Ellie, go!

Congrats on the wanted poster, awesome creation! But that's Pat for you!

Happy Monday!

Theresa Milstein said...

Alex, thanks for featuring Anne.

Anne, I loved hearing how your story seed planted and took off. So cool. Good luck!

Robin said...

Didn't see Man of Steel YET, but I am really looking forward to it.

Brandon Ax said...

JLA is coming 2015 with the same writer as Man Of Steel.

Anne R. Allen said...

Bossy Betty: LOL Martha vs. Superman! Love to see that!

Alex, you get so many great comments! Your peeps are awesome.

Thanks to everybody who's commented on Blues for Martha. I really had fun writing it. You guys are helping it zoom up the Zon charts today. And the Camilla boxed set is now #36 in humorous fiction. Who says blogs don't sell books?

And who says bad reviews matter? Man of Steel got terrible reviews before release and it's just done a huge box office weekend that exceeded all expectations. I'm not sure reviews matter at all, except maybe to get people to want to find out for themselves and make their own decisions. I'm definitely seeing it. Loved Henry Cavill in "the Tudors". They all wore their pants over their tights in that. :-)

Empty Nest Insider said...

Anne's book sounds wonderful, and It was also fun to learn the story behind it. Great poster! Congrats to Sean and Ellie!

Julie

farawayeyes said...

Fun guest post. Anne is an interesting person. I'll need to check her blog out.

Can't wait to read Ellie's new book, I thought 'Passing Time' was awesome.

No Man of Steel for me.

John Wiswell said...

Man of Steel far exceeded my expectations. I agree with you that Cavill did a great job, and I think Amy Adams may be my favorite live-action Lois.

Ruth Harris said...

Thank you Alex and Anne! I love Anne's description of her "source material." Putting two things together that have never before been together is key. That's why the more writers read, the better writers write!

There's a gold mine in those newspaper, magazine & internet articles! It's up to us to be the miners...

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Livia, all of the actors fit very well into their roles. You won't be disappointed with that. And there are aspects of why people don't like it that are valid, but I'm just not that critical of movies.

Andrew, I didn't think it was all about Zod.

Gwen, isn't the poster great?

Brandon, that is awesome!!

Anne, my Ninja Army rocks.

John, she fit in the role much better than anticipated.

Hey Ruth!! Thanks for stopping by today.

Leovi said...

Yes, I'll see if I win that prize capturing Ninjas!

Carrie-Anne said...

I love the cover for Taking Time! That dark blue is so beautiful and eye-catching.

ediFanoB said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
ediFanoB said...

Hi Alex,

another informative post today.

I think that authors sometimes underestimate the longing of readers for more information about the idea of a book.

I really like the wanted posters by Pat Hatt.

I visited Jack Lewis Baillot's site in order to get more information about A STRETCH OF LOYALTY which isthe ifrst book in the LOYALTY trilogy. The author created a separate blog for the series.
If you would like to get more information I recommend to visit Because of Loyalty.

By the way the author is Miss Jack Lewis Baillot and not Mister as one may assume based on the name Jack.

And if you like Steampunk you should have a look at her HAPHAZARDLY IMPLAUSIBLE series.

Thank you Alex for mentioning Miss Jack Lewis Baillot.

Bevimus said...

I love it when my characters have a strong enough voice to hijack my sapling story and make it their own. Thanks for sharing, Anne!

That’s an awesome poster from Pat.

I’m SO looking forward to seeing Man of Steel, even more so with this good review.

Jay Noel said...

I noticed a lot of of non-comic book/superhero fans didn't like it. That's to be expected.

You're right about it being too heavy handed. There wasn't enough light moments in there.

The camera work (in non-3D even), was a bit dizzying too.

Cherie Reich said...

Love how Anne created her idea for her novel!

Ellie's cover is fab!

And, yes, where is our Justice League of America movie?! I haven't seen Man of Steel yet, but I do hope to, even if I'm more of a Batman fan.

Kathe W. said...

love the Martha Stewart image of playing the blues!
Wasn't Bernie a b....d? hope he's having a "HOT" time. He ruined a lot of peoples lives besides helping screw the economy. Thanks for the rant space!
and Have a great week!

J.L. Campbell said...

Haven't read Ellie's first book yet and now there's more!

Gotta love that Wanted ad.

The weirdest things can spark story ideas and news clips are chief among them. Hope Ann's book is doing well.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Leovi, you would turn me in?

Edi, definitely know Jack is a woman! She's also a geek, which is extra cool. Thanks for pointing out her book site - I've only visited her blog.

Jay, maybe the next one will be a bit lighter.

Cherie, we want our JLA!

Kathe, rant away!

Tonja Drecker said...

Great wanted pictures-I thought you'd be worth more than that!
Nope, haven't seen Man Of Steel yet, but my son gave it a huge thumbs up, so I'll have to go soon.
Congrats to everyone and their books!

Ella said...

I'm always excited about buns of steel...oops Man of Steel ;D
I love Superman...can't wait! I knew Henry would bring it! I loved him on The Tudors! My son saw the movie and his review matched yours~

Anne is so fun! :D Off to visit her blog!

Congrats to all included!

I love your wanted poster- Just pass me a Ninja star and you can quietly go on your way ;D

Anne R. Allen said...

Kathe--Bernie M. was definitely a b.....d (I had the hardest time figuring that out. My first thought was "bouche dag?" :-) I had so much fun giving Harry/Bernie his come-uppance.

Come on over to my blog today, everybody! We're having quite a party because the post (on time-wasting "platform building") got featured on the Passive Voice. 1400+ hits today so far.

Belle said...

Glad to hear your take on Superman. Yes, I'll be seeing it one day.

Angela Brown said...

I giggled my way through Anne's explanation of how she came up with the premise for this novel. Excellent piece of story telling in its own right so I'm sure the novel will be great. Best of luck with it, Anne :-)

And haven't seen Superman yet. A few friends and co-workers have. Getting mixed impressions from them so I guess I'll have to watch it for myself. Oh darn (lol!!!)

Liza said...

Anne's book sounds like a hoot!

Brian Miller said...

the fight scene at the end of man of steel is quite long...ha...i enjoyed it..better than the last one....

anne's book sound pretty cool...i am very interested in how the character handles the new homelessness...and hey inspiration is all around us you know...smiles.

Notes Along the Way with Mary Montague Sikes said...

Anne's book sounds really amazing!

You do such a great job with the movie reviews. Thanks for sharing them!

Mary Montague Sikes

Mel Chesley said...

Ha! No Place Like Home sounds like a fun read. I'll have to check it out. Love the wanted poster, too. :D

Roland D. Yeomans said...

The WANTED poster is fun. Best of luck to Anne with her new book.

MAN OF STEEL comes closest to nailing it of any of the SUPERMAN movies. No adaptation of a comic will be perfect in anyone's eyes.

I had to see it in 3D -- if any movie demanded it, MAN OF STEEL did. A JUSTICE LEAGUE movie depends on how well they do the WONDER WOMAN, FLASH, and GREEN LANTERN movies -- plus who they choose to play Batman and how they bring him into the mix.

M Pax said...

Plan on seeing Man of Steel tomorrow.

Anne, that sounds like a fun book. I'm putting that on my TBR. Congrats!

Woot for Ellie!!

Anne R. Allen said...

I just caught a typo in my piece. It's supposed to read "serving her prison TIME for insider training." Arrgghh. Amazing how we miss those things. Especially left-out words. Because we know what it's supposed to say, so that's what we see.

Angela, thanks much for the compliment to my story-telling. Everything is a story, isn't it--if you look at it right.

Thanks everybody for the great feedback on the ideas behind No Place Like Home. I hope some of you pick it up and enjoy it! (I also have my boxed set of Camilla mysteries on sale this week--only 99c.)

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Ella, tossing one your way!

Angela, darn the luck.

Brian, much better than the last one!

Roland, very true. And they'd need to re-introduce Batman, as the one from the Noland series wouldn't fit in Superman's world.

Anne, I'll fix it!

Helena said...

Anne's book sounds like a real hoot. I always figured there was something fishy about Martha Stewart ever since I learned that she needs only four hours of sleep a night and works every minute of the twenty hours she's awake. So she can be a great (and weird) inspiration for a novel.

I'll likely be checking out her book along with Ellie's -- Taking Time sounds like a great collection.

jaybird said...

Been too busy to get to the movies. Maybe after the crazy calms down next week, I can go catch Superman.

Haven't been able to catch up with any new releases around the blog-o-sphere either so I'm always happy to see what's up over here!

Rawknrobyn.blogspot.com said...

It's very good to know that Martha Stewart inspired a worthy contribution to this world. Being as I interviewed her for my last IWSG post, I was extra amused by Anne's insights.

Thanks, Alex.
Be well.
xoRobyn

Melissa Sugar said...

I loved reading how Anne came up with her story. Congrats to Ellie. Love the book cover.

Anne R. Allen said...

Robyn--You interviewed the actual Martha Stewart? That must have been intimidating. I have always had the same feeling as Helena--how does this woman do all of this nonstop, all day, with no sleep? Talk about a strange visitor from another planet...

And I forgot to say...Ellie's cover is awesome!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Helena, she can't be for real.

Jaybird, got you covered.

Robyn, your interview was hilarious.

Jemi Fraser said...

Love Anne's back story for this novel - awesome!! Lots of good news - yay for Jack & Ellie. I've yet to meet some of the others, but yay for them too!! :)

Chuck said...

Saw the Superman trailer when I went to Star Trek and knew I needed to see it in the theatre. Probably next week for me (love sparsely populated Tuesday afternoon showings).

I figured Henry Cavill would be good in this film as I thought his portrayal as the Duke Of Suffolk in The Tudors was the best acting in the series.

My question is...Where is the CassaStar movie!

Sorry I've been away so long...busy summer!

Chuck at Apocalypse Now

Anne R. Allen said...

Just read Robyn's "interview" with Martha--hilarious!

Denise Covey said...

I am reading Anne's book ATM. Anne is a blogger generous with writing tips I visit all the time. The trailers to Man of Steel look awesome. Can't wait to see it.

L.G. Keltner said...

Man of Steel looks like a great movie. Not sure when I'll get a chance to see it, but I'm sure it will be an enjoyable experience when I do.

LD Masterson said...

I do follow Anne's blog. She offers so many great tips.

Haven't seen Superman yet but the superhero I really miss is Captain Marvel. I read somewhere he got caught up in a rights dispute when one comic book bought out another and that's why we don't see him any more. He was always one of my favorites. Can you say Shazam?

Unknown said...

I'm hoping to see Man of Steel tomorrow (fingers crossed). I've never been a big fan of Superman, but I like this new, darker Supes.

Michelle Wallace said...

Congrats Ellie and Anne! I love Ellie's book cover! Great colour!
I'm trying to visualize a guitar-playing Martha Stewart? Nah! Doesn't work... LOL
The WANTED poster is awesome!
Writer In Transit

Sheena-kay Graham said...

The JLA movie will rock if it's ever made. Glad Man of Steel lived up to the hype. The wanted poster is awesome. Congrats to Ellie and Anne.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Chuck, it's a must see in the theater. And I don't know where it is! Lost in development limbo...

Anne, wasn't it funny?

LD, it always comes down to a rights dispute.

Lindi said...

Alex and Anne--Hi! Anne great recap of how a story starts. I'm with you there. I love how that whole process comes together.

I haven't seen Man of Steele---it sounds great, though.

Unknown said...

This morning I listened to a story on the news about investigators searching for the body of Jimmy Hoffa in a field in Detroit. Wow, the story possibilities!

Martina Boone said...

Can't wait for Man of Steel! This weekend, I hope! And I love the explanation for the premise behind BLUES,FOR MARTHA STEWART! Love. Love. Love!

Rhonda Albom said...

I had house guests all weekend, so no movies for us. I do love the new cover.

Rhonda @Laugh-Quotes.com

Maurice Mitchell said...

Inspired by Martha Stewart's jail time. LOL That's brilliant Anne!

Anonymous said...

Hey Alex,
I saw Man of Steel, yesterday. I agree with your points, but didn't like the movie. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but Henry Cavill kind of bothered me. As I was watching it, I discovered, I am more partial to the scientifically advanced Superheros (Iron Man, Batman) as apposed to the Alien Superheros. Thor is the exception, Love him.

Unknown said...

Man of Steel is on my to-do list for this week. Your post got me revved up for it!

Nicole said...

Loved hearing Anne's story of how she came up with her idea. The muse does tend to work in unexpected (and often hilarious) ways. :)

Morgan said...

Authors are so mean, Anne! LOL.

And so excited for Ellie! She is wonderful. Spot on/informative post as always, Alex.

:D

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Candilynn, no kidding!

Sydney, you just like Thor's hair!

Elizabeth Seckman said...

I definitely need to check out Anne's site and her book. I was giggling as I read the evolution of the story.

I liked Man of Steel, but I was disapointed in Lois Lane...I thought she was too old. for Superman, who was just a total perfect hottie!

Samantha May said...

Martha Stewart playing the blues...now that would be an interesting thing to witness. The story sounds great though! Adding it to my list of books to read.

I'm going to see Man of Steel tonight. I can't wait! I figured if Chris Nolan was involved then it had to at least be decent :D

Leovi said...

As you tell you, Man of Steel must be very good!

Cate Masters said...

Excellent cover, Ellie!
I've heard great things about Man of Steel. Looking forward to seeing it.

Gossip_Grl said...

Sounds like Man of Steel did very well. I probably won't get to see it until it hits Redbox.

Julie Dao said...

That story sounds very interesting. I guess if Martha Stewart can inspire a home makeover, she can inspire a book! LOL. I haven't seen Man of Steel yet, but that's all I hear about!

Jack said...

Okay, No Place Like Home sounds like my kind of story! Definitely looking that one up!

I have finally decided I will be waiting till Man of Steal comes to DVD before seeing it. I've never been a Superman fan, but it looks like it might be pretty good and I've heard some good things about it. So, it finally made it on my to-see list.

Also, I had the chance to read CassaStar. I did a review on it, but I wanted to say, I enjoyed it VERY much. One of the best friendship stories I've read in a long time!

Anonymous said...

We went as a family to see Man of Steel on Father's Day--and I agree with everything you said in your review!

Patricia Stoltey said...

No Place Like Home just found a home on my Kindle. Thanks for the heads-up on this one, Alex.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Elizabeth, I have no idea how old Amy Adams is in real life.

Samantha, you will enjoy it.

Jack, I saw that!!! Thank you so much.

klahanie said...

Hello and yes I'm finally here. I know an "honour" to have me visit.

All the very best to Anne. Who is Martha Stewart?

Pat's posters are nothing new, but it's good to note he mentioned you in his Dr. Seuss type postings.

Good to see my friend Ellie mentioned here.

Haven't been to the movies in years.

Anonymous said...

I love the concept of Anne's book and Ellie's cover is amazing.

I've heard mixed, but mainly good things about Man of Steel. I haven't seen it yet.

Anne R. Allen said...

Thanks much to everybody who's commented--especially those who bought my book! I hope you have fun with my version of "Martha".

And I want to give a great big thanks to Alex. You're awesome, Captain! I'm definitely going to see Man of Steel. I've been a Superman fan since I was a little kid and had to hide comic books under the mattress to keep my academic parents from seeing how I was "wasting" my time.

Sarah Allen said...

Anne is one of my favorite bloggers out there! She is always so wise, and this post is no exception. And that seems consistent with what I've heard about Man of Steel so far. Definitely want to see it! Also Despicable Me 2 which is coming out soon :v

Sarah Allen
(From Sarah, with Joy)

Rawknrobyn.blogspot.com said...

Thanks, Anne. So glad we connected. I'd give Martha Stewart the credit, but I'd much rather give that to our Captain Alex! Thank you, Alex!

xoRobyn

Anonymous said...

I wasn't aware of Anne's book! Sounds wonderful and will check it out.

MAN OF STEEL? Definitely going to see this one...

Doralynn Kennedy said...

I plan to go see Man of Steel in 3-d with my son... can't wait!

Unknown said...

What a great story!! Inspiration can strike anywhere anytime. I hope it will hit me soon. LOL

Love that Wanted poster. It is seriously cool.

Man of Steel is must see for me. I'm hoping to catch it this weekend.

Sorry I was late to the party. :(

Pat Tillett said...

I hope to see Man of Steel this weekend. Thanks for your short review!

Jai Joshi said...

*giggle* That's such a fabulous backstory to the inspiration behind your book, Anne!

Alex, I still haven't seen Man of Steel yet. Can't wait!

Jai