Last weekend, I think it was, I was channel surfing, and came upon Adam Sandler's THE LONGEST YARD about a third of the way in. Now, one of my favorite football games in film ever was the one in the original version of THE LONGEST YARD, so we decided to watch the rest of it. It was nicely done, with a lot of subtle acting -- who knew Chris Rock could be tamed? -- and sweet bits of character development. Really was impressed by the film -- but I told Newell I wished he could see the original, because it was one of my favorite movies.

Well, a few nights later, Burt Reynolds' version was on. And...uh...it didn't hold up to my memories of it at all. Of course, one problem was that it was on CMT, and they censored the most memorable line in the movie -- and if you have seen it uncut, you probably know the one I mean. It was my favorite line, so it was a bit of a let down... Of course, to be fair, I did not see the beginning of the remake, so I don't know what all the set up was...but boy, the '74 version looked dated.

But the most important difference was the characterizations. There were none in the '74 version. Okay, that's not strictly fair. The characters were flat, with little dimension, and what there was seemed stereotypical -- but that was the style chosen for a movie that was more about plot than character in a day when the style was fairly normal. However, my treasured memories of the film were rather blown away by the reality after all these years.

In the '05 remake, though the names of the characters were the same in many cases, with a lot of the same dialog, the subtle differences gave them life. And created some of the more interesting scenes too. For example, seeing the Con "Cheerleaders" only at the game in the original wasn't nearly as dynamic as seeing the boys who wanted to cheer begging for the chance and working on the details throughout the film.

Newell was personally very impressed with how much better Burt Reynolds was as an actor in the relatively minor role of Nate Scarborough than he was as the lead in the original. But again, that was his style in the '70s. In the new film, he was giving a character and not a star turn.

The reason that I am even writing this entry is because I was so blown away to see that you could indeed retrofit character into an old project. It's the thing that has me most excited about my revision of THE BLOOD THAT BINDS into THE LUCKLESS PRINCE. Flat characters without a lot of motivation in a more plot driven novel have been fleshed out with scenes allowing the introductions of more subtle development. Some characters that were almost walk-ons in the original now have importance to the overall arc. And a large handful of entirely new characters offer more depth to the novel as a whole.

I am really looking forward to folding in the final comments from the beta-readers and starting it out on the rounds. Hopefully by the end of the year. Though I am a bit tremulous about finding an agent...I have so many things in so many genres...can one person handle them all? Agent advice gratefully accepted!

I didn't write anything for about a year except poetry. To me, poetry isn't writing, it's breathing. But when the block cracked, it smashed into little pieces. I got the revision of my first novel done...but more importantly, I rediscovered how to write a short story. I'm so happy about that. Short pieces are much quicker to turn around. Since mid-August, I have gotten three short stories out into the submission loop, and a fourth posted on my Facebook fanpage as a free read. I have an invitation to submit to an anthology with another piece. Life is good. I like having multiple pieces out on the road...now, if only some of them start finding homes... ;)

So, if you have seen me at a con in the last year or so, you might have seen my autograph book. It looks like this:



I love it. Everyone loves it. I've gotten the best comments, sketches, and signatures because of it.

Well, it filled up, as these things will, and for the last month or so, I have been looking for more. Amazon has a "used" copy for sale for $999. That was ridiculous. So I looked online. I found a store that had some. I was ecstatic! So I sent a money order for 5 copies. And waited. And waited. Called last week. They said they'd get back to me...

Called today. The woman was very apologetic for not getting back to me -- new phone system -- but she had bad news. The company had discontinued the whole line, and a check was in the mail for my purchase price. *Sigh*

So I started looking for another source. There were FOREIGN editions available. So I called the company. No, they haven't discontinued the line at all. They just don't have any American/English interest, so they only print foreign language versions. Greek, Czech, Hungarian, I believe are the three that the lovely woman I spoke to mentioned.

I've got one of each on hold for me, because they happened to have them there in the office. I'm putting a money order in the mail tomorrow.

But for curiosity's sake, I asked about an English print run. They have a minimum order of 5,000 copies, which runs about $13-14k. That's actually a pretty good deal. If I had financing,  I could easily sell them I bet. Anyone want to bankroll an order? ;)

I can't believe there is no English market. Everyone who sees the book loves it. Maybe all they needed was a better marketing campaign.

I knew it was too good to last....missed posting yesterday, but here's the review I promised of Gail Dayton's NEW BLOOD from Tor.

I first heard Gail read from this book at last year's ApolloCon, so I had been on the lookout for it. When I saw it this year I snapped it up at once.

This is fantasy at its best, grabbing you and pulling you into a world lush and detailed. It is an alternate history, set in the 1860's in Europe. But it is a world filled with magic -- alchemy, wizardry, conjury...and the long-lost sorcery. All magicians in this new world are male. At least until Jax Grayson, blood servant bound to the long-dead Yvaine -- last blood sorceress -- finds her successor in Amanusa Whitcomb.

Amanusa has been living a quiet life in the wilds of Transylvania, tending to the healing of a band of outlaws through no choice of her own, afraid to work even her simple charms for fear of the Inquisition. Jax offers her a vision of a new world...with magic beyond her wildest dreams.

There is a hint of steampunk to the world; a dash of adventure; a wealth of fantasy; and a wonderful romance that most can only dream of. And a Crow. I'm always partial to a story with a Crow. :)

I know I am gushing, but it is truly a marvelous book. The characters are multi-dimensional and well-rounded. The plot carries you along like a flowing stream. The settings are vividly drawn and detailed. There is a lot of blood in places, but not gratuitous or gory.

I don't want to get too detailed -- every reader should have the opportunity to experience the story first hand -- but I will say that I found twists and turns and surprises all through the story. I would think I had something figured out completely, and I would be wrong.

I have only one problem with this book. I finished it.

I am hoping that there is a sequel, and very soon. I will be watching for it.

It's been a very slow year for me profit-wise. Although I have been working my butt off writing, that writing hasn't shown a return yet, and the old stuff is...well, old. Without finding a new bunch of people to tap, most of the sales I am going to make have already been made. So...it's coming down to the mat. Looks like I will probably have to cut back to the bone on next year's (and probably the year after's) conventions unless I can luck into some way to pay for them.

This is one of those situations with no good end. If you go to the conventions, you have to a) pay your own expenses or b) get them paid for you. A. is fine if you have disposable income -- and the return is well worth it, in my opinion...but if you DON'T have that cash to spare, then it is rare that you make it back as an individual writer. (Or often even as a small publisher.) B. is great -- but paid gigs are rare until you have a reputation built up that makes you a viable Guest of Honor or Toastmaster or some other titular guest, and it is even rarer that a small press only writer has that kind of chops.

NOT going to the conventions means you aren't meeting your fans, or editors and publishers who might be looking for just what you have to offer. It takes your name off the stage and puts it on the back burner. They may remember you when you crawl out of "retirement", but it is going to require a lot of re-building to get back to where you were.

Sometimes, however, there is just no choice. If the funds don't exist, the funds don't exist, and all the wishing in the world is not likely to make it so...

...so if you don't see me on the usual circuit for awhile, don't forget about me. I'm plotting a way back...  And who knows--maybe a miracle will happen along the way, and by February, when my season of cons starts, everything will be coming up Roses...

(don't take me off the rosters yet, guys...)

Yeah, it is a minor problem, and not something to obsess about...but the length of today's television series seasons drives me insane! You are just beginning to get invested in a show, to like the characters, and to care what happens to them and BAM! the season is over.

The series seasons of my youth were generally 26 episodes. They would run from late August or early September to around March, and then there would be reruns for the summer. If you didn't catch an episode first run, and missed the repeat, you might never see it.

Then the season went to thirteen episodes. There would be a season of one show in the spring and summer, and another in the fall and winter.

Nowdays, there are "seasons" that run six to eight episodes, start at staggered times, and finish whenever the networks feel like it. You barely get interested in the current season, and it is over. On the other hand, an episode will be repeated at least twice a night, and then off and on throughout the week following on the non-traditional networks like USA, TNT, "SyFy" and so on. They claim to be running two seasons a year, but often it is still thirteen episodes split into two groups of episodes run half in the summer and half in the winter.

It is almost enough to make one give up on TV entirely...but unfortunately, the series so affected are often really good in their own right, so you WANT to see more.

Now, this rant does have a caveat. I almost never watch the mainstream networks. The only exception I made last year was for "Castle" -- though that season still fit this pattern.

I wait for things like "Bones", "House", and "NCIS" to hit USA or TNT. Maybe if I watched the shows on their "real" networks, I'd feel differently. Can anyone expound?

I didn't want to have to type it again, so here is the con report I posted on Facebook:

Friday afternoon started out with a stint behind the registration table helping to get the badges ready. (I was so early the participant packets weren't even ready, so I needed something to do.)

As soon as the dealer's room opened to dealers, I went in to see if I could find some kind soul to crib the corner of a table from, and there had been a cancellation which made a whole table available for snapping up. Of course, this cut down on my time wandering around the rest of the con, but on the other hand, I sold more books in one weekend than I have in ages, so it was worth it. :) Plus, I got to sit and chat with Gloria Oliver most of the weekend, as her table was right beside mine.

My first panel was "How Did You Think of That?" and it was very well attended for a Friday afternoon panel. We had a lot of interaction and questions from the audience. And Josh Rountree mentioned a plot bunny that resulted in my first new short story in months.

After the panel, back to dealers room. When that closed down, it was off to Opening Ceremonies. Scott Cupp's Toastmaster speech was very nice. Enjoyed all the guests' speeches, as a matter of fact.

The traditional "Meet the Pros" mixer was a lot of fun. It gets easier every year to mingle and chat. I think that Facebook has been a factor there--it's hard to be shy when you have been sending someone fish or fighting in their Mafia. :) Had many lovely conversations. The highlight of the event was when Michael Moorcock dropped in and presented Howard Waldrop with the Jack Trevor prize.

Saturday morning in to the dealers' room. The highlight of the day was when a gentleman came by and picked up one of my poetry books and started skimming through it. He wound up buying it saying he hadn't bought any poetry in thirty years, but he thought the poems in the book were excellent and worth rereading. It's hard to get appreciation for poetry. I was over the moon for the rest of the weekend. :)

Didn't sign anything at my signing, but still had a lot of fun chatting with Matthew Bey.

Our panel on "Humor in SF/F" that night was really great. Rhonda Eudaly wore her vorpal bunny slippers as moderator. We discussed why A. Lee Martinez hates to be called a humor writer, and I promised not to embarrass him by talking about how great his books are when he is around...but he's not here, and they are!

Made a quick round of the parties with Gloria and her daughter Drew. Really glad to see that AggieCon is enthusiastically planning next year's convention. Hope to get back there after two years absence.

Sunday panel was "Creating a History", and despite a lack of caffeine, it was a really fun panel. Other panelists were Sharon Shinn, Ann Aguirre, Patrice Sarath, and Taylor Anderson. It was interesting to see that most of the panelists advocated the create details as needed school of thought. Made me feel much better about it, because that is the style I tend to follow. :)

Couple of sales at the table -- total of seven books...and two copies of my Yarddog chapbook over at Edge Books. Doesn't sound like a lot when you compare it to some people, but for me AWESOME sales. ;)

Reading at 2:00 was attended by my friends Todd and Sam -- with a couple of latecomers drifting in. I tried my new short story out on the guys before the gentleman with the young child got back, and it went over with exactly the reaction I wanted -- so I feel pretty good about submitting it to Strange Horizons... Also read part of a chapter from my newly finished rewrite. Very pleased with it in general.

Stayed to hear Nancy Jane Moore read part of a short story...which I have forgotten the name of, but really enjoyed.

Back to close up the dealers' table, and home with a bag full of books to read. All in all, a great con!

I am really excited by the strength of the work I have been doing lately, but I could not be doing it as well without the input of my writing partner and my husband. I've always written male protagonists...I don't know why. I've always thought that I did a pretty good job of it. But the questions and insights that I have been getting from Jim and Newell are blowing me away. I am being chided for neglecting details that I never even thought of before. I think that it will have a lasting effect on my work from here on out. I am actually learning a new way of thinking. It is awesome! And really expanding my vision...

Last night, sorta by accident, I wound up watching SMOKIN' ACES. I had heard of it before, but never been interested enough to go out and look for it to rent or anything. By midway through the film, I was so hooked that I told Newell to go on to bed without me, it wasn't quite over.

Now, first of all, I like the genre of GRINDHOUSE meets PULP FICTION. If you don't like gore, shoot-em-ups, and strong language, this isn't your film. If, however, you DO like those things, this is a wonderful little film. It revolves around a washed-up Vegas comic -- Buddy "Aces" Isreal -- who has intel on the Mob and is working on a deal with the Feds.  This sets a team of FBI guys on his tail to get him and bring him in. Then there is the fact that he skipped bail, and that accounts for the bounty hunters... And then there are the several teams of assassins trying to collect on a mob hit reward. By the middle of the film, it just become fascinating to see who is going to survive till the end of the movie.

Jeremy Piven -- someone who I have always felt doesn't get enough credit for his amazing versatility -- turns in one of his most nuanced performances yet (in my opinion) as Buddy Isreal.

Ryan Reynolds actually impressed me as one of the FBI agents -- I usually don't see him as anything more than a likeable, good-looking dude who doesn't really have to do a lot. In this film, he shows some nice subtleties.

Chris Pine sure didn't look like clean-cut Captain Kirk in this film. It showed he has a lot more range than I would have guessed.

In the tradition of a Tarentino film, there are recognizable faces all through this film (Ray Liotta; Ben Affleck; Alicia Keyes...tons more.)

The dialog is snappy and better than many in this genre -- the action looks like John Woo on steroids -- and there are enough blood and bullets to keep Hong Kong happy for a decade. And yet the plot is anything but simplistic, having twists and turns till the very end.

If you couldn't tell -- I loved this movie, and highly recommend it to fellow devotees of the genre. :)

....trying to do better about posting. :)

Settled down last night to sleep, and suddenly the room exploded with thundering feet and needle-claws diving over our heads. I don't know what she was chasing -- but I think it had wings -- but Elf was in deep disgrace this morning. Ah, wildlife!

Making it a little hard to get moving this morning, but I am working on Chapter 5 of my rewrite today, and too excited to let it get me down for long. I really am pumped up by the way that this work is going. I sometimes wonder if it is worth it to be rewriting an old work, but I have learned SO much since it was published that I really feel it is almost a new book. And I am learning a lot about world-building that I should have learned before it was submitted the first time. ;)

I am also getting excited about the project I plan to take to my writers group after this one. It is another piece that has been kicking around for decades, and I know there are people who wonder if it will ever see the light of day...

The pump is primed. Ready to go to work now. See y'all later!

I love Facebook. I don't deny it. I spend hours each day reading about what my friends are doing, playing with my little Hatchlings, biting other Vampires...playing any one of a dozen games. It really has reunited me with friends and family I haven't seen or spoken to in years. But darn if it doesn't eat time!

Of course, it isn't only Facebook that has been wasting all my time lately. For the first time in ages, I am sitting at my computer for hours each day and working on a book. Of course, it is an old book that I am re-writing...but I am working on it diligently. And I have just sent the first three chapters to the level of reader beyond my writing partner, so hopefully it will be in a publisher's hand before the end of the year. Not expecting it to be accepted by the end of the year, but at least to be out on its own.

But it has made me very negligent of blogging. I need to work on that. Blogging is a different level of communication. It is much more useful as a communication tool than a two-line status report on Facebook. I need to remember to stop in and smell the roses on the blog, as it were, more often than once a month. I will try. I promise.

...but I have really been caught up in the throes of Spring Cleaning. Downstairs is still neat enough for guests after more than a week. That is real progress. I get this feeling of bliss just walking into it...lol. Upstairs is going more slowly, but part of the deal is that everything gets put away where it belongs, not just stashed somewhere until later. This is taking a lot more work in the study. But slowly but surely it is coming together. I can't wait until it is finished. Then I get to start the re-write of my re-write...*grin*

It's been ages since I posted, but I have actually been working, and the little things have a tendency to fall by the way when I am really writing. I know what your blog is not something you should let slide, but I have no other excuse. :)

One of the things that has sparked my output and smashed that pesky writer's block is the fact that I have recently started a Writer's Group. Ok, it is a very small writer's group -- the talented Jim Reader and me -- but it is really humming along. With the small size, we can work through 2 chapters each a week. I have actually completed the rewrite of the novel we are going over and I have started the revisions on the next completed rough I have in my WIP files. I am expanding my Nanowrimo novel "Mutiny on the Moonbeam" into a real book. ;) Diving into the world-building and piracy aspects at the moment. I often gloss over these aspects, so I am having fun.

I hope to get back into the rhythym of posting and my RieViews soon!

It was a blast of a weekend. Best energy I've felt in a while. :)

I got to the hotel Friday with plenty of time to spare -- better than the last con, when I hit the hotel 15 mins. before my first panel.

That first panel was a lot of fun. I was a member of the team explaining the alien artifacts recently unearthed on a derelict space hulk. I think most of them wound up being sex toys of some type. There was going to be a panel on Sunday where another group of "experts" would debunk us, but I had to leave before I got to hear what they said.

The rest of the day was spent on catching up with friends. That's one of the best parts of a convention, seeing the other writers and finding out what irons are in everyone's fire.

Friday night was a different take on the usual Yard Dog Road Show, with the authors putting on an impromptu performance of one of the murder mystery games carried by the press. It was a blast and a half. The highlight was Bill Ledbetter's Tinkerbelle...though Chris Donahue's Goofy was also a tour de force. I was one of the detectives trying to solve the case, and it was a tricky one, but my "partner" Mel Fletcher and I were pleased that we were among the group who guessed the correct villain in the end.

Saturday morning, I was on a panel with my friends Martha Wells and Lee Martindale, as well as the inestimable Steven Brust and a lovely lady whose name I don't remember at the moment (and I feel terrible about that...*blush*) The panel was about the importance of a good first line/beginning, and was very well attended for a 10 AM panel. We had a lot of good interaction from the audience, and I believe a good time was had by all.

My reading at one tag teaming with Shanna Swendon went exceptionally well. The audience was larger than most readings I have done (I credit Shanna) and they seemed to enjoy the offered pieces.

My last scheduled event of Saturday was the three o'clock filk panel led by Joseph Abbott. I was really honored to be sharing the panel with such renowned filkers as Joe and Teresa Patterson. I managed to sing in public -- which is always traumatic for me...lol. We had an appreciative audience, many of whom were also filkers -- like Casey Sledge -- as well as some total neophytes. I hope everyone came away with something new.

Most of the rest of Saturday was spent wandering in and out of the Dealers' Room. I had an opportunity to spend some time chatting with one of my favorite artists, James O'Barr, and my head was in the clouds for the rest of the day. I picked up several new items for my Crow collection, as well as some good advice and a tip about a new expo to check out in a couple of weeks.

I made the rounds of some of the parties Saturday night, but wimped out pretty early due to sheer exhaustion. I had a bit of a broken night's sleep due to a family semi-emergency, but everything worked out in the end, and I got to stay for my signing on Sunday.

Although I didn't sell a lot of books at the signing, I did have a lot of fun chatting with the lovely ladies I was sharing the table with, and I enjoyed it thoroughly.

Then it was on the road for the long drive home. There were many more little highlights over the weekend, but those were the big things. I came home pumped to work -- which is one of the best things about a con. :)

Ever have one of those months? So far this month, and the last week of the last one..., it feels like I have gotten nothing done at all. But I am looking forward to ConDFW and the rejuvenation that comes with talking and interacting with peers. Hoping that it will jumpstart things again. It will be a fun con. I can't wait for the Interstellar Archaeology panel on Friday. And it's always a treat to be on a panel with Lee Martindale. Expecting that there will be a lot of laughing during the Saturday panel on How to Start a Story. Still trying to decide what to read for my reading. Any suggestions? :)

I'm a little late posting today because I have been totally engrossed in Gloria Oliver's Cross-Eyed Dragon Troubles. I have read all but one of Gloria's books, and really enjoyed them all. Her In the Service of Samurai is one of the most unusual fantasies I have ever read, and ranks among my favorites. But there is something about Cross-Eyed Dragon Troubles that trumps them all. I didn't intend to get so caught up in the story. I honestly didn't think it would be something I really clicked with. But she proved me wrong.

15 year old Talia finds herself apprenticed to the Dragon Knight Guild. She always expected to be apprenticed, but the quirky school on the mesa is nothing like what she had in mind. From her first encounter with Clarence, the dragon of the title, and Kel, his rider, her life gets complicated. Learning to deal with magic, keeping up with her studies, and making a life for herself in the Guild, Talia has her hands full. And to top it all off, there is the irritating and yet intriguing Kel to deal with.

The action is fast-paced and non-stop. Day to day life in the Guild is anything but boring. The secondary characters are detailed and three-dimensional with enough hidden in their pasts to fuel another volume or two at least. The world is solid in its geography and strong in culture. You find yourself immersed in the story without being distracted by unknown languages or unexplained activities or items.

I really loved this story. I hope that eventually, as in other magical schools in other magical worlds, we will get to see what happens to Talia in Year Two.

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One of the few first run movies we have seen in a long time is Bedtime Stories. I became intrigued by the trailers, and really wanted to see this one. I am a big Adam Sandler fan anyway. It isn't a real thought-provoking story, but I thought it had heart and a neat message underneath the silliness.

Sandler is a maintenance man for the hotel his father once owned. Not much in his life is great, but then, not much is terrible either. It's mostly just life. When his father sold the hotel, it was on the condition that Skeeter (Sandler) would run it someday. But somehow that day keeps getting postponed further and further. Just when Skeeter has had enough, his sister asks him to baby-sit her kids while she goes out of state for a job interview. The bedtime stories he comes up with to entertain them start to come to life...and change his.

When we came out of the theater, a couple who had seen it with us were complaining that the plot was slim at best, and the movie felt like a series of Disney special-effect set pieces. Some of that might be true. If you are looking for a deep, thought-provoking film, this isn't it. But if you just want a bit of feel-good escapism, I recommend it. It was fun.

snatched from kgkofmel :


The first five people to respond to this post will get something made by me. It will be about or tailored to those five lucky "victims."

This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:
- I make no guarantees that you will like what I make!
- What I create will be just for you.
- It'll be done this year [edit: oh, I'll try, but no guarantees]
- You have no clue what it's going to be. It may be fiction. It may be poetry. It may be a program, or a proof. Or even an extremely short piece of music. I may bake you something and mail it to you. Who knows? Not you, that's for sure!
- I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.

The catch? Oh, the catch is that you have to put this in your journal as well, if you expect me to do something for you!

Commenters beware: I still owe people things from the last time I tried something like this...

Ok, the blue part is the part I snatched. I'm going to add a bit here...

In your comment, tell me three random things about you so that I will have a starting point for your secret surprise. These can be anything from your cat's True Name to where you had dinner last night. Just a little bit about yourself so that we can get to know one another better. :)

For example, three random things about me: I wanted to be an archaeologist when I grew up; I collect keychains; my favorite movie of all time is The Crow.

Come play with me and win a prize! ;)

Running a little bit late this week, because allergies have had me floored for the last several days. But it did give me time to read a Jeffery Deaver novel that I hadn't read before...so I will RieView that. :)

The Devil's Teardrop is another thrilling crime novel from the writer who brought us The Bone Collector. Although it does feature a cameo from Lincoln Rhyme, its protagonist is a forensic document analyst who retired from the FBI several years ago to raise his two kids. But he is called on to step in and aid the Bureau on a complex case where the mastermind of an extortion plot is killed in a freak accident and his cold-blooded partner is still carrying out orders to kill the citizens of Washington D.C. at set periods of the day on New Year's Eve 1999. I won't give any more of the plot than that, because it twists and turns and intrigues from first page to last.

Parker Kincaid, the father torn between his desire to protect his kids and duty to prevent bloodshed, is a well-rounded character with a brilliant mind. His counter-part on the task force, ASAC Margaret Lukas may have a hard outer shell, but there is vulnerability beneath. All of the characters are dimensional and interesting, and you find yourself worrying about what will happen to them. To me, that is the mark of an excellent writer.

As for the plot, the case is a puzzle from beginning to end, and just when you think you've solved it, there is another twist in the maze. Everything hinges on the extortion note and what it can tell them about the perpetrators.

I love fantasies--that's why I write them--but every now and then, I like to cleanse the pallet with something tough, and stark, and gritty. This is one of those books. Much more an intellectual puzzle than a feel-good story, though you find yourself caring about the outcome and the people involved. Definitely worth a look if you enjoy crime fiction or mystery.

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So, the hubby wanted to show me several of his favorite obscure films a few weeks back, and Run Lola Run was one of them. In the same vein as Groundhog Day or the bank-robbery episode of The X-Files, the basic plot repeats itself several times with varying results. But a bland recounting of the facts -- boy loses drug money; girl tries to get it for him; they goof up; time starts over -- doesn't begin to encapsulate this gem of a film. The plot is almost immaterial, though it is interesting, when viewed against the heart-pounding soundtrack and the innovative camerawork. It is a parable of action and consequence, with glimpses of modern German society (it is a foreign film, though there is an English Language version on the DVD) thrown in for good measure. You can't glance away even for a second, or you will miss something important. Like how narrowly missing the woman with the baby carriage as she runs by has a different effect on the woman's life than when Lola bangs into her as she runs. These intriguing little "And Then" moments about minor characters are some of the most compelling moments of the film.

It is a difficult film to describe. More than the circular plot, the heart of the movie is cause and effect. This is the fascinating bit about it. The characters aren't particularly likeable, and yet you find yourself wanting something better for them... Worth an evening's rental for sure.

Trying to set up a new office where the old library room was, and a new library where the old office was. Daunting...daunting. I keep shifting piles of books from one spot to another and wondering where all of them are going to fit. And where the new cabinets I got from Craigslist will go. And whether or not I will lose the kitten somewhere in the chaos...ARGH!

Still, forward is forward...I guess I should be optimistic.

This week's novel has been out for several months, but I saved it for the perfect moment knowing that it would help me through a time of boredom by whisking me to a magical realm, so I didn't read it until the trip to Chicago when it made the flight seem way too short...

I am talking about the much anticipated sequel to Lynn Flewelling's Night Runner trilogy Shadows Return. Seregil and Alec are back and better than ever. If you haven't met our daring duo, I recommend Luck in the Shadows, Stalking Darkness, and Traitor's Moon (simply because I think no fantasy lover should be without them) but you can pick up the story fairly well without the background given in the original books.

Alec and Seregil lead dual lives, indolent lordlings by day, and theives for hire by night. But it is more complicated than that. These two characters are so well drawn that it is hard to pin them down and say "this is who they are and what they do." In this case, the life partners are asked by the Queen to take a message to her sister, and leaping at the chance to get away from the boredom they are feeling at home, they set out on a journey that is interrupted by a slave raid. Not knowing whether the other survived or not, they are subjected to individual trials that test them to the breaking point. And a mysterious prophecy that has haunted Alec now finds validation--in the most unusual way.

I don't want to give away too much of the plot to this story. If you are a fan of the series, you will savor every word. If you are coming to it with fresh eyes, I almost envy you, because that first meeting of the two is magical. I cried every time I tried to read Luck in the Shadows the first time because I couldn't write like that -- it was sheer poetry to me. There is a male/male relationship at the heart of this story, but it is such a natural love story that it feels like there could be no other outcome. This is a lyrical series, and one that I usually have extra copies of lying around my house to give to people so that they can become hooked on it too. I can't wait for the next outing in October.

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On the film front, the hubby had been dying to show me some of his favorite movies, so around the holidays, we went on a renting binge. One of the movies that he wanted to share was Kissing Jessica Stein.

Jessica is working at a job she hates, for a boss she's disappointed in, and her mother is making the "you aren't getting any younger" noises. Her love life is non-existant, and an attempt at speed-dating is more disasterous than usual. So, when she sees an ad in the personals section that reverberates in her soul, she answers it -- despite the fact that it is in the women seeking women section. Enter bi-curious Helen, a vibrant gallery worker who is pretty much as free-spirited as Jessica is uptight. They learn a lot about love, trust, and pain as they muddle through building a relationship. This is a truly poignant story about what it is to love and lose, and come out a winner on the other side. Everyone grows up, and most learn a little bit about life along the way.

I really liked this movie. It was nothing like what I was expecting. The acting is powerful and compelling, even with the comedy frame. I would recommend it to all romantics. :)