Saturday, June 30, 2012

Movie Review: Madea's Witness Protection

Around the House
Well I am in the process of working on the next installment of the Preludes of Illumination Series, Finishing Part 3 of Brimstone, and starting vol.3 of the Preludes Series.  Wow that makes me sound really busy doesn't it.  I always wondered how authors like Meg Cabot, Rick Riordan, and Kelley Armstrong could turn out books so damn fast.  I see how they have no lives.  Otherwise, not to much is going on around the house.  I am getting ready for my vacation which starts on the fourth of July.  I am looking forward to spending some time with family.  The next installment of Brimstone will be hitting shelves at that point to help with the fun summer reading schedule.  My work outs are still going well.  I am not hitting the gym 6 days a week like I want to, but I am making progress with keeping up on them.  I am averaging 4 days a week right now.

My Thoughts
Tyler Perry's Madea movies are not known for great plots, but they are known for fun romps.  We return to Madea's house, her nephew Brian, and her crazy brother Joe who are about to take on a rich family that have gotten themselves in trouble with the Law and the Mob.  While the character of Madea is never the point character of any of her movies she is always the comedy that keeps you falling out of your seat.  Tyler Perry did not disappoint with the non-stop laughs, push at family values type morals, and a fun fast paced movie.

Now looking at the actual plot of the movie, their of course were some holes.  Okay, a few mile wide ones, but that isn't why we watch the movies.  There are also plot points that are mentioned that never come into existence.  What happened to the Ex Wife? Is that really Joe's kid? Did the family find happiness in their new life?  All things I would have loves to see.  As expected though Madea was a fun, heart warming movie that doesn't require you to follow the whole lineage, but is great if you do!

Rating: 4/5

Friday, June 22, 2012

Where is Your Pride?

Around the House
Not to much besides writing and talking to Katrina Rue about her new book SKYN that just came out.  I am actually getting ready for a fun and festive weekend with friends.  I have no intention of looking at any emails or even being too sober.  It is one of the few weekends a year I completely cut loose.  Guess what, its okay because it doesn't happen very often and gives me a chance to watch some great social interaction.  That always helps the writing and give me great fodder for future stories.

My Thoughts
I don't get to political, I don't scream and rant about my religious beliefs, I actually don't talk to much about me personal life.  Well today I think that it is time I did.  For those of you that don't know I am not just a crazed author in Chicago, I am also a proud gay man.  Yep I am!  I am getting ready for a weekend down for in the City for Chicago's Gay Pride Parade and saw a special on Showtime On Demand about pride parades around the world.  It really made me think about equality and the protesters that are anti gay rights.

First, I am a Catholic; mostly non-practicing do to the belief structure, but a Catholic none the less.  It comes from having an Italian Family.  I have spent time a lot of time over the years very angry with organized religion.  Christianity has a commandment of Love Thy Neighbor.  Christ talks of acceptance and love.  No where in the bible do you see Jesus screaming down with the gays.  So why is it in Modern society we see Christians and the group that spreads more hate than anyone else in the world?  Why do they stand on the side of the road during pride parades screaming that we are all going to Hell?  Why do they demean us for being different.  Some of the greatest advances in Military, Arts, and Sciences have come from the gay community.  Just look at your clothes.  So tell me, as a Christian how do you stand on the side of the road condemning people for following their heart?  How do you hate someone for the way God made them?  I do not understand this and it hurts me to think about this.  We as a society have come so far and yet we have so far to go.

Additionally, I have a thought on our society and marriage, so hold on and read before you get the pitch fork and hunt me down.  I do not believe in gay, straight, or other marriage that is upheld by the government.  Sorry I don't.  To me marriage is a religious institution and it is up the church to decide if they will allow their follows to marry and how they are to marry.  Now I have an issue with the government which has a strong separation of church and state honoring these religious ceremonies.  I believe that it should all be Civil Unions.  If individuals want to contractually bind themselves to each other they should be allowed to do regardless of the pairing.  For a government to give rights to one group and not another is no different that segregation of schools in the south.  Separate but equal was not equal back then and it sure as fuck isn't equal now.  So I ask each of you to write, email, blog, and petition to have equal rights for all people regardless of Sex, Gender, Nationality, Religions, Age, Health, or Sexuality.  We need an equal right amendment to show the world the discrimination of any kind is wrong.  Everyone should have the chance to purse Happiness, and those who wish to stop others from that should feel the fire of a witch trial not those who just want to be accepted.

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Swift Changes and New Projects

Around the House
So I have recently been obsessed with house hunting.  I am in the first stages of looking to buy a place, and it is a royal pain.  Yet, I spend most of my time at home looking at the same properties or type of properties over and over again.  Also, my work outs have gone to hell this week.  I have just hand so much going on that getting to the gym has not been a priority, and I am feeling the aftermath of it.  I need to go out and get more active.  Additionally, some of you I know are already on this band wagon but I have started to read Fifty Shades of Grey.  I am not very far into it, but I can see the spark that is drawing women across the world into the tale.  My sister (I have two) has been talking about this book nonstop on her Facebook page so I had to see what it was all about.  I was just going to download the sample, well I bought the whole damn thing yesterday.  I am dying to see how it all turns out.   Also, I am in the middle of reading Dance with Dragons.  I am looking forward to finishing that book which completely reminds me I have a book review to write this week AWK!

My Thoughts
So I have started a new project, For the Love of Brimstone.  Katrina has been pestering me for years to take my love for gossip and turn it into a full story.  Well I have never known how to do it.  So finally I have begun writing this new book as an installment series.  I will be publishing installments for everyone to read as I get through sections of work on it.  It is about two people in their late 20's early 30's and the dark seedy sexual encounters they get themselves into and the aftermath of playing in the world after dark.  Of course this is me so I had to include dark parts with demons and other magical creatures.  I am not sure how long this full novel will take to be done, but as soon as it is I am sure you will love the show.  I am just surprised how much fun I am having taking stories I have heard from people in my life and twisting them into a dark tale of lust, love, and hardcore fun.

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Body for Life Week 12 - The Finals

Around the House
Well, Katrina Rue has pushed me into writing a new piece for fun, as you all can see from my post yesterday.  It is coming out in a serial format like they used to run in newspapers and magazines.  At this point I don't know how long or large For the Love of Brimstone will be but I am rather enjoying writing it.  It is a dark twisted Paranormal Romance.  I hope you enjoy it.  Just so you know today it is Free on Amazon so check it out.

My Thoughts
My First 12 weeks on the Body for Life Challenge are over!  Yeah.  I had a party to celebrate the end of the challenge with a group of friends.  We had a great time, but now it means I have to start my second challenge because I am not entirely happy with all of my results.  Well here goes on the final numbers and pictures.  It took a little too long during this challenge to get my eating to where it needs to be so I am expecting better results in the stomach area this time around.  Hell it was only the first time I ever completed it, so I am excited to go again.




Week 12 Ending- The Numbers: Its over
Start Week 9 Change
Weight 235.6 225.0 -10.6
BMI 32.7% 30% -2.7%
Hips 44 in 42 in -2.0 in
Waist 42.5 in 40.5 in -2 in
Midsection 47 in 41. in -6 in
Chest 46 in 43.5 in -2.5 in
Arm (R) 14 in 13.5 in -0.5 in
Arm (L) 14 in 13.5 in -0.5 in
Neck 17in 15.5 in -1.5 in
Pants 36 33 - 2

Total change in inches: 15inches and not at my goals.  I was fat!

Monday, June 11, 2012

Friday, June 8, 2012

Free Book

Just a quick note.

My new book is free today on Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Hunted-The-Chronicles-Illumination-ebook/dp/B008832ZD6/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1339192725&sr=8-10

Check it out and let me know what you think!

Thursday, June 7, 2012

A little something I am working on!

Around the House
Well I am thinking about the next two installments of the Preludes of Illumination Series and it crossed my mind that I may actually have the formula for Chronicles 2.  While I have always known the basic plot, I have never been very sure on how to get there.  I think I know and I would love to here you comments.

My Thoughts
The steady tick of the clock filled Damian's mind.  The world was quiet despite how full his home had become over the last couple months.  Now the damn tick tock of the grandfather clock was slowly driving him insane.  He was the only one home.  He rolled over away from his bedroom door and the voice returned to him.
"Tick, Tock, you loved that clock."
Damian filled over in his bed towards the sound of the voice.  His open door glowed with psychic energy.  He could see into the depths of the astral plane.  Again the was yanked into the dreamscape of the astral plane by that voice.  Again he would hunt that voice depriving himself of the sleep him mind needed to grow with his growing powers.
"Tick, Tock that clock was your rock."
He stepped through the door way and long psychic claws formed on his left hand and his burning psychic sword erupted on his right.
"Show yourself demon!" Damian yelled.
"Tick, Tock a scream and a knock.  The mind is the power not the voice in the dark."
Damian's mood darkened and the landscape around him burned from pink to purple.  A dark figure began to form in front of him swirling with energy.  He could feel his power slowly draining as the figure took form, so he lunged with his sword.  The laugh echoed around and in him before the creatures power shoved him across the realm and back into his bed.  Damian shot up from his sleep coated in sweat.

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Body for Life Week 11

Around the House
This has already been a crazy week for me.  The new book has hit newsstand as a ebook first.  We are trying this out to see what this does before the paperback is released.  Also, we are doing a great promotion on Amazon.com for Free Book Fridays.  Every other Friday my new book will be done.  I am looking to buy a house this year; my first house.  It is a long and daunting experience, I came to realize yesterday that I am running low on time.  Now by the end of the week I need to get a couple things cleaned up to get ready for this process.  I so can't believe that it is already June.  Work is getting busy, so that means I am juggling six projects right now with extended hours.  Wish me luck!

My Thoughts
I think I have finally gotten my eating right.  It has taken long enough to figure this out.  I am actually seeing the weight start to move off which is great, but I am afraid it is a little to late.  I have also come to realize that I need to fix my sleep schedule.  I have completely screwed it.  6 hours a night is not enough for me.  I need to get back on an 8 hour schedule.  I find on my days off I am so wiped out that I don't have the energy to work.  Also, I am not seeing the muscle growth that I wanted, but with the layer of fat on me that might be the problem.  So let's look at the numbers.

Week 11 Ending- The Numbers: Almost Done
Start Week 9 Change
Weight 235.6 225.0 -10.6
BMI 32.7% 30% -2.7%
Hips 44 in 42 in -2.0 in
Waist 42.5 in 41 in -1.5 in
Midsection 47 in 41.5 in -5.5 in
Chest 46 in 43.5 in -2.5 in
Arm (R) 14 in 13.5 in -0.5 in
Arm (L) 14 in 13.5 in -0.5 in
Neck 17in 15.5 in -1.5 in
Pants 36 33 - 2

Total change in inches: 14  HOLY COW!  Okay so I now feel a lot better about pictures next week. Especially since this is only challenge one!

Friday, June 1, 2012

Movie Review: Snow White and the Huntsman

Around the House
Well tomorrow is going to be Hell.  I have to attend our first fair of the season, and I do not feel like being up in just a few short hours.  AWK!  It was not the smartest thing in the world for me to go see a movie, but I had to see it.

My Thoughts
I am going to be blunt, and before Katrina pipes up, yes their are moments when I do sugar coat my thoughts.  The movie was horrific.  I expected and dynamic well written master piece to bring the tale of Snow White into a new non-Disney era.  Guess who did a better job with that?  Disney with their amazing show Once Upon a Time.

The Characters where extremely static with glimpses of a true back story to give them motivations.  The magical elements are the story such as the magic mirror has an original take yet where very quickly tossed to the wayside.  And the building of a tragic love story was left out for a sub par battle scene where the most interesting parts where Dwarves playing in the sewer.

I was expecting from the previews to see the Queen as the lead character with some great development and growth to explain her motivations.  It seems from watching this cinematic train wreck that a fantastic script existed but was tossed into the trash.  The part the boggled my mind was that if she could suck the life out of a young girl to stay young why did she have to go out of her way to kill Snow White, because the Mirror said so? 

Rating 2 out of 5

Book Review: Grimalkin the Witch Assassin by Joseph Delaney

Around the House
I am listening to Katrina and her rants about "Making Sex" with the Guy who moved to Portland, her next date, and work.  Yea we have really excited lives over here.  I am taking time out of my editing (and before my workout) to update my blog on the next book I have read.  I am getting a bit sad knowing that my favorite series are starting to make their way to an end. Sookie Stackhouse has only one book left. The Last Apprentice (The Wardstone Chronicles) has only three books left which is only about another year.  The Kane Chronicles are over.  At least I still have four more Percy Jackson related books to look forward too!  I am actively looking for suggestions and what to read next.  I like to be ahead of the curve, unfortunately I am not when I start adding the Hunger Games to the shelves this summer.

My Thoughts
I was not expecting this book to fall into the narrative of the main series The Last Apprentice (The Wardstone Chronicles) by Joseph Delaney, but the change of perspective by following Grimalkin was refreshing and fun for the reader.  It actually lent itself to giving the reader a chance to follow what happened behind the scenes.  Additionally, I know that the main character Tom has the last name of Ward, but I have to wonder what the title of the series Wardstone has to do with the ending.  I am wondering if this something to do with the end of the Fiend.

Grimalkin is on of the most interesting characters that Joseph Delaney has introduced into the series.  While I am still surprised I love this series since I have a love for witch mythology and most true witches in his world are evil, I find the character of Grimalkin has enough of the good to counterbalance the darkness in the character.  You can't help but love her, feel for her, and wish her well in her endeavors.  This book while a fast read opens the gates to the end of the series.  It will make you think deeply of Tom's relationship to the dark from his mother, Alice's role in Tom's life, and what will happen after the end of the Fiend - if they are able to fully end him.  You won't be able to put this book down!

Rating: 5 our of 5