I am in need of co-hosts!
If you can co-host July 6, August 3, or September 7, leave a comment or send me an email. Thanks!
I also have the honor of a guest post at Anne R. Allen’s Blog on Sunday, June 12!
My New Dream by Lori
L. MacLaughlin
Thanks very much, Alex, for having me over!!
When I published my first book, I realized a dream. But now
that I've reached that star, I've had to come up with a new dream. Something
that seems as far out of reach as my first dream did back then. What better
thing to choose than to see my book made into a movie?
I'm sure I'm not the only one who's had this dream. What
author doesn't fantasize about seeing their story come to life on the big
screen?
Hmmm... what actors would I choose for the MCs? The hero? Based
on looks alone, I'd pick Joe
Manganiello. I hope he can act.
The heroine? That's a bit more difficult. She's a
swordfighter who is tough on the outside to hide her inner vulnerability. The
actress would need the platinum blonde looks of Tanya
Roberts in the movie Sheena (though with... ahem... more appropriate
clothing), the devil-may-care attitude of Sandahl
Bergman from Conan the Barbarian (again, with more reasonable clothing,
though I have to admit, Conan
didn't have much on either), and the sword handling skills of Xena,
Warrior Princess or Red
Sonja. (Can't any of these warrior women get decent battle attire? I mean,
seriously. Who would go into battle half dressed? At least Xena had some armor.)
It would also be nice if she had some acting ability, unlike
some of the above actresses, and I do mean some and not all. Some were good, if
a bit over the top at times, but others were, shall we say, not Academy Award
winners.
The other problem is that my heroine is left-handed, and I
don't think that can be faked.
Anyone know of any good left-handed actresses that could
handle the role? What actors/actresses would you choose for your characters?
Tara Triannon is no stranger to trouble. She's yet to find
an enemy her skill with a sword couldn't dispatch. But how can she fight one
that attacks through her dreams?
This mini-series is based on the John le Carre novel of the same name. The night manager of an Egyptian hotel is recruited by British intelligence to infiltrate an international arms dealer’s network.
This was an excellent spy mini-series, largely in part to the exotic locations and the top notch acting.
Everyone involved brings their A game. Hugh Laurie is charming with an underlying tone of menace. Tom Hiddleston is completely believable as the tormented night manager turned spy. Also starring Tom Hollander, Olivia Colman, and Elizabeth Debicki.
This six episode series ran on AMC and you can now find it on iTunes and Amazon. Highly recommended!
Question of the Month
Hosted by Michael at A Life Examined
The question is – “Of all the places in the world that you haven’t yet been to, where would you like to go next?”
I’ve been to some cool places – Japan, England, France, Scotland, Canada, etc.
But one place I haven’t been that I’d still like to see is New Zealand. It’s a beautiful, diverse country, and it would be cool to see the locations where the Lord of the Rings trilogy was filmed.
And bonus – unlike Australia, I won’t have to contend with the world’s deadliest snakes and spiders! (Sorry, Michael.)
New Releases!
And, as an added incentive to their blog friends, if you buy the $2.99 eBook and promise to leave a review, they will send you a free autographed paperback copy. (USA only.)
Buy it on Amazon
Find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble
Find it on Amazon
Movies That Stand the Test of Time
Last week we pulled an older movie off the shelf to watch. And I was really surprised by how well it had held up in terms of the story, how the movie looked, and the special effects. Some films don’t hold up well after twenty-thirty years. (Some don’t make it as far as ten years.)
That got me to thinking about what films have stood the test of time:
Jaws (1975) Despite all the issues they had with Bruce the shark, the effects still look good and the dialogue is snappy. The only thing that dates it is the clothing.
Jurassic Park (1993) Yes, I still believe the dinosaurs are real. They look just as good as the latest film. Plus the film is as solid as ever.
Aliens (1986) Considering the amount of special effects (mostly physical ones) and sets, this one is really impressive. The aliens still move real and great performances keep it fresh.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) This one impresses me the most. It came out the same year as Star Wars, but if Lucas hadn’t redone some of the special effects, Close Encounters would now look light years ahead of Star Wars. The spaceship at the end is still jaw-dropping. A little dated with the clothing but great performances keep this movie relevant.
What movies over twenty years do you think have held up well?
Who would you pick to play in the movie version of your book? Have you seen The Night Manager? What new place would you travel to? And what movie still looks great today after all these years…?
And if you can co-host the IWSG, please let me know!
