Devon Cooper: Bad Day

A bit of business today before we get things started. I wrote a guest blog for Shelly at her blog The Life of A Novice Writer, on the topic of researching for a book. Drop by and check it out.

And today I've got a guest blogger here. Devon Cooper has released her book Bad Day in the ebook format, with paperback to follow. You can find it here through her Amazon author's page. I've read the book, and thoroughly enjoyed it. I'll be reviewing it here in the coming days, but for now, I'll leave it to Devon to introduce herself and tell you a few things about it. Take it away, Devon!

Thank you, William, for having me over to your blog today. I really appreciate you doing this for me. Beth Muscat over at Bent River Books (http://www.bentriverbooks.wordpress.com/) and her friends, including you, William, have been especially helpful in getting my name out there.

Hey folks. My name is Devon Cooper, and I'm a newbie to the Indie Author world. My debut novel is called, "Bad Day" and I'm quite proud of my first writing accomplishment.

Writing a book has been something that I've wanted to do for a while, but nothing I wrote seemed good enough. I started writing a paranormal romance type book that had werewolves, angels and demons in it, because that seemed to be all the rage, but it just didn't work out.

Then I wrote this piece about a woman who was trying to get herself and her family ready for the day. If a woman has a family that requires her to seemingly do everything for them, while leaving little time for herself to get ready, well, you can almost feel the stress she might be under. But, as with the above story, it never went anywhere.

However, I didn't throw out those two unworkable stories. I kept them in the hopes that one day I could get back to them or use them in some other story. And, that's what I did.

Bad Day takes place over one day, which is not the way I had intended on writing it. However, as I continued to write, it kind of wrote itself that way. As each character goes through his or her own personal turmoil, I added bits and pieces from the unworkable paranormal story into this, creating memories for the characters. I was able to use three different parts from this story to create memories for three of my characters.

I also incorporated some of my own memories into the story for my characters. Of course, I embellished them, or changed the context, but still, some of those are mine own.

The beginning of the book (after the equally stressful prologue) features Angie, a driven hard-working woman who is to make a presentation for a spot on the Board of Directors of the company she works for. Of course, the comedy starts with her trying to get herself ready in the morning after waking up late. Her day doesn't get any better when she gets to work. She still has to make it to the top of the high rise.

Add in more characters that are having similarily stressful days, and you have the makings of a comedy.

Frank is a construction worker, who is working at the top of the same high rise building with his boss, Sam. But, to get to the top, Frank has to get into the one thing that he fears the most. An elevator.

Of course, it doesn't help when Frank forgets his drill in his truck and has to go back down to get it. He must face his fear head on. Then, to make matters worse, the elevator gets stuck on its way back up, trapping him in there.

When the fire alarm goes off, Sam can't trust that the elevators will be working properly. He opts for the stairs, but with his old high school knee injury, his trip down the stairs proves to be a long one. To make matters worse, he has no way of knowing where Frank is, and he left his cell phone in his truck, so he can't even call his wife Joanne to let her know that he's ok.

When Joanne, a teacher, finds out that the high rise building has had a bomb threat called into it, she leaves her classroom to go find Sam. When the police check their list to see if he exited the building, his name isn't on any of their lists. Seriously, I don't think their days could get any worse...or can it?

Some of the memories are funny, and some of them are sad, but the memories of the characters help build the stressfulness of how they feel throughout the book. And, what's a romantic comedy without a little romance...just a little.

This was one book I felt was good enough to make my debut novel. Set in multiple first person point of view, it's an easy read, and one that I hope you will all enjoy.

Thank you again, William, for allowing me to come here and talk about Bad Day which is currently available in ebook format (paperback coming soon) at Amazon.

Six Sentence Sunday

Another Six Sentence Sunday blog today, featuring a passage from Heaven & Hell....

Glancing at the pool, she saw things getting very personal between Dahlia and Beigel. She arched an eyebrow, remarking, “It doesn’t appear to me that they’re swimming at the moment, Nasira.”

            Nasira laughed. “I wasn’t aware you two were exhibitionists,” she called out. “Or are we supposed to be voyeurs?” Beigel responded by sweeping his arm through the water, sending it splashing onto the others, all while not breaking out of the rather passionate kiss he and Dahlia were engaged in.

Assembling The Avengers

"This is just like Budapest all over again." ~ The Black Widow
"You and I remember Budapest very differently." ~ Hawkeye

"Doctor Banner, your work is unparalleled. And I'm a huge fan of the way you lose control and turn into an enormous green monster." ~ Tony Stark


*****
Well, it seems that The Avengers is burning up the box office and turning into quite the smashing success. A number of bloggers I follow have already done reviews, and before I get started with mine, I thought I'd pass along some links for their reviews.

At Windchaser's Journey, Norma has done her own favourable review of the film. If you haven't read it yet, get a look at it.

Our alter egos Scarlett and James have done a review at Basking In The Afterglow in their typically frisky fashion. Obviously not to be read with kids around. Just saying.

Mark Hunter has also done his own review of the film at his blog, Mark R. Hunter.

Lastly, E.J. Wesley has reviewed the film and gives us his thoughts at The Open Vein.

There might be others in the next day or two, so check back here, and I'll put up additional links as warranted. Now, onto my own thoughts of the film....

For the last few years, there have been a number of Marvel comics characters adapted to the big screen. Some of them have had their film rights taken up by other studios, so despite the fondest wishes of some comics fanboys, there will never be massive crossovers. Since 2008, however, there has been a concerted effort to create a shared cinematic universe among several characters. Two Iron Man films, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, and Captain America: The First Avenger have shared common links, characters, and references, which have all led to this summer’s blockbuster event The Avengers. It’s been awhile, but Marvel Studios chose the right directors for the earlier projects, and carefully brought all of these together under just the right director to bring the team to life for the first time on the big screen. And it’s paid off beautifully.

Nick Fury. Don't call him Patch.

Agents Maria Hill and Phil Coulson

The film starts with Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), director of SHIELD, an intelligence and special ops agency with a near unlimited budget, coming to a secure facility where trouble is brewing. Fury and his right hand agents, Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg, returning again to the films) and Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders, making her debut in the franchise) learn that the Tesseract, a cubed energy source last seen in The First Avenger, is behaving erratically. The scientist in charge, Eric Selvig (Stellan Skarsgard, reprising his role from Thor) barely has time to brief Fury when the Tesseract opens a wormhole, and out comes the treacherous Loki (Tom Hiddleston, who was last seen falling into the void in Thor).

Loki, on a bad day

Loki uses mind control on Selvig and SHIELD agent Clint Barton, aka Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner, who did a cameo as the character in last year’s Thor), escaping from the facility with the Tesseract. Fury, whose plans to start a team of superhumans have stalled, must assemble the group. Captain America (Chris Evans) is only just starting to get used to life in the current day after being in stasis for decades. Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) is opening up a new Stark Tower in New York City and spending time with his assistant turned partner turned girlfriend Pepper (Gwyneth Paltrow, making a cameo this time out). The Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) is called in from an interrogation overseas to bring in another potential team member. She tracks down Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo, taking over the role from Edward Norton and thus becoming the third Banner in three films- the Ang Lee film doesn’t count as canon in this franchise by the way- and the most suitable for the role) in India. Banner, aside from being a genius who’s the definitive expert in gamma radiation, also happens to turn into a rampaging green sledgehammer of sheer power called the Hulk when he gets mad.

Hawkeye. On his worst day and Green Arrow's best day, that DC twit doesn't stand a chance

The Black Widow, the most dangerous woman alive.

Loki’s brother Thor (Chris Hemsworth) arrives from Asgard, clashing briefly with Iron Man and Captain America before joining in with the group. He also brings the news that Loki seeks to bring an alien army to Earth for a full invasion, to subjugate humanity once and for all. As Loki works to make that happen, the team must bridge the differences between them, get past their dysfunction, and work together to save the world.

"You're going to pay me for the armor polishing I'll have to do, right?"

The movie succeeds on the basis of several elements. First, the dynamics between the characters is just right, fitting both the comic and cinematic versions of each team member. Their personalities and histories are conveyed well through the screenplay and the performances, both in the way they butt heads and work together. I liked the way Tony and Bruce- two intellectual geniuses- sparred with each other in the lab and bickered, for example, and Steve Rogers, as a man completely out of his own time, feels once again true to form. Each of these characters are strong, alpha personalities who have to find a way to work cohesively. At first, they’re at odds (in fact, through the film, pretty much every member of the team gets into a fight with at least someone else on the team). After a pivotal moment, they become united in a common cause.

Bruce Banner and his cranky other half

The casting is essential as well. With the exception of Ruffalo, all of the leads have appeared in the earlier films, and have fit their characters very well. Evans, the soldier out of time, becomes the natural leader again, decisive and courageous despite the odds. Downey, playing Stark for the third time now, once again gets some of the great lines (not all of them!) with his funny, acerbic take on the character, pretty much irritating everyone else in the cast to some degree. Johansson, as the Widow, gives us a character whose backstory is fleshed out, who can use truth and subterfuge in the very same moment, and who-despite being a mere human- is credible as the most dangerous woman alive. Renner spends the first part of the movie as a bit of a ghost until he gets freed from Loki’s control, but afterwards becomes the solid marksman, absolutely cool under pressure, with history with the Widow. I liked their interaction.

Thor, the biggest cause of women getting flustered since 2011

Hemsworth’s return as Thor is more than welcome; he was perfectly cast as the character in last year’s film, and he seems as if he never stepped out of the role. I liked that there are moments in the film where he’s the voice of reason, both with the Hulk and with his brother Loki. Hiddleston, as Loki, once again is a compelling villain, and making him the reason the Avengers come together is a good nod to the comics history as well. A broken and utterly desolate soul since his exile, it’s not that much of a leap for such a man to end up becoming capable of terrible acts. Hiddleston conveys that quality very well indeed.

"Did I mention I've met your old man?"

Ruffalo, as the newcomer to the franchise, fits the role of Banner perfectly. The character has been played before by Eric Bana (too whiny in the Ang Lee film, but the blame for that debacle can be laid at the director’s feet) and Edward Norton, who just seemed off in the role. Ruffalo gives us a brilliant, troubled man who’s all too aware of the danger his other side presents- his revelation that he’s tried to commit suicide is perfectly suited to who he is- and yet he's a very sympathetic character, both as himself and as the big green walking temper tantrum.

"What do you mean, there's no Scarlet Witch in this movie? What the hell are film rights?"

The production values of the film help things along. Alan Silvestri, who scored The First Avenger, returns to compose the music for this film, and he gives us powerful, commanding music that perfectly suits the themes of the film. The CGI, makeup, set design, and costuming involved is very well done, and it really shows. The Avengers quinjet and the SHIELD helicarrier are rendered well, just as I'd imagine them to be. The invading army (largely cannon fodder, and never before used in the comics version) mostly use gliders as their invasion kicks off the final act of the film, and look decidedly ugly. Their flight scenes have a frantic, chaotic feel that looks real, and their leviathans- giant armoured flying creatures- look gigantic and terrifying, and very much in the scene, as opposed to completely fake. The battle between the Avengers and these invaders feels very much immediate and real, and that’s a credit to the live action and how seamlessly it blends with the CGI elements.

"About that whole thing last year, can we just let bygones be bygones?"

The CGI is probably best expressed in the look of the Hulk. In the Ang Lee film, the CGI for the character was inconsistent at best, and the Hulk often seemed over or undersized, not in the picture with other characters, and just generally muddled. That improved greatly in The Incredible Hulk, and is certainly well done here. The Hulk has consistency whenever he appears on the screen, and feels very much like he’s sharing space with the rest of the cast. Much attention to detail has been paid to getting him right, and it paid off.

"We're going to need a bigger boat."

It’s director Joss Whedon who brings it all together, and he was the ideal choice for helming the project. Whedon knows the source material very well indeed, and his background suits the demands of the film. This is the creative force behind Firefly, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, and Angel, after all (one of his cast members from the latter two series in fact has a cameo in the film, though Alexis Denisof is completely unrecognizable from his days as an erstwhile British Watcher). Whedon gets group dynamics, how to mold together the complex relationships and personalities into a unified whole. He also has a good sense of humor, and that plays itself out well throughout the film. He gets the best out of his cast and crew, and in the end, the film is a grand slam out of the ballpark. As the proverbial coach of the team, Whedon can take a well deserved bow.

"Last one still fighting when we win buys the pizza."

In closing, the film succeeds wildly in bringing these characters together. The Marvel universe has always had much more interesting characters then their DC counterparts, after all (sorry, Superman, but you’ll always be a boring Boy Scout). The film tells a story of coming together in a common cause, to fight back against impossible odds, to stand as one. There are some extraordinary jaw dropping moments throughout the film, but I think the best moments of the film are the ways that the characters interact with each other. Sometimes that’s through dialogue. Other times it’s just a look. Or the way a god of mischief winds up getting six heroes really, really mad at him.

Go see this movie. You’ll have a great time. Trust me.

Glynis Smy: Ripper, My Love

Today I'm turning my blog over to fellow writer Glynis Smy, who is releasing her novel Ripper, My Love today. Take it away, Glynis!

Today writer/poet, Glynis Smy adds author/novelist to her name. Her debut novel; Ripper, My Love, is launched in ebook format and paperback. The genre for this love story falls into the one of Historical Romance Suspense.

Growing up in late nineteenth century East London,
Kitty Harper’s life is filled with danger and death – from her mother, her
beloved neighbour and the working women
of the streets.

With her ever-watchful father and living surrogate
family though, Kitty feels protected from harm. In fact, she feels so safe that
while Whitechapel cowers under the cloud of a fearsome murderer, she strikes
out on her own, moving into new premises to accommodate her sewing business.

But danger is closer than she thinks. In truth, it
has burrowed itself right into her heart in the form of a handsome yet troubled
bachelor, threatening everything she holds dear. Will Kitty fall prey to lust –
and death – herself, or can she find the strength inside to fight for her
business, sanity and her future? And who is the man terrifying the streets of
East London?

Who is Glynis Smy?

Glynis was born and raised in England, in the coastal town of Dovercourt, near the port of Harwich (where the captain of the Mayflower lived). After qualifying as a nurse, she married her school friend, and they produced three children. During her rare quiet moments, she wrote poetry and articles for magazines. In 2005 she and her husband emigrated to Cyprus for a new life in the sun. It was here that Glynis lay down her cross stitch and started making writing friends on the Internet. With their support and encouragement she shared her poetry, and was successful in a few contests. She shared a short story with a friend, who wrote back telling her it was worthy of becoming a novel, and not to waste the premise upon a brief plot. The story is the one being launched today. Glynis found her love of writing 19th Century, historical romances and her second novel, Maggie's Child, will be published at the end of 2012.

Aside from writing and Cross stitch, Glynis enjoys creating greetings cards, and sells them to raise funds for a small hospice in Cyprus. One of her pleasures is to sit on the back porch with a glass of wine, and reflect upon her good life. She can often be heard chatting to new characters urging her forward.

Her desire to pay back those who had supported her is realised in a blog designed specifically to promote the books of others: New Book Bloggerhttp://newbookblogger.blogspot.com/. You can find her personal writing blog at http://www.glynissmy.com/. Glynis finds the community spirit of writers on Facebook a valuable one.

Want to purchase a copy?  Launch day price for the Kindle is 99c/77p!

Amazon Kindle 

Amazon.com Paperback  

Amazon.co.UK Paperback & Kindle UK

The Book Depository UK (free delivery worldwide)

The Book Depository. Com

Barnes & Noble

Musings Of An Eccentric Rogue

A bit of business to see to today before I get started. I probably won't be blogging again until after the weekend, and on Monday I've got a post by Glynis Smy, who has her release date for her book that day. I've got company coming into town, so I'll likely be quiet for a couple of days. Hopefully I can catch up afterwards!

Oxfordshire, Great Britain

I thought I might go on a bit today about the writing process, and about the odd thing or two I've found while polishing up Heaven & Hell. I've been keeping my beta readers waiting while I've been doing a few things to the manuscript. After I was done, I think I set it aside a bit longer then I should have, and I realized that I've been going over it too much with a fine tooth comb rather then making the adjustments that have to be made now. Anyway, the touch ups are proceeding quickly now, and soon enough, the book will be off in the hands of beta readers. After that, I can start with the whole fine tooth comb thing.

One of things I've been keeping in mind as I've been going back through has been two things I'll add onto the book: acknowledgments and writer's notes. The acknowledgments will to be various people; first, there are those like Norma, without whom the book would still be locked away in my head. Second, a number of professionals in museums, embassies, or other occupations have lent some expert advice along the way. And there are other people who live in the places in question and to whom I've known. Selene, for example, lives in Greece and was very helpful in her knowledge of the country. And a good while back another online compadre who lives in England helped out with little things like the travel time between Oxford and Essex. In addition, of course, there are items here and there through the book that I'd like to add into a writer's notes postscript, complete with an apology to the odd real locale for staging meetings between terrorists or protagonists in their facilities. Daniel Silva likes to do the same in his books, apologizing to a real-life hotel for running a field operation out of their premises, and it's a good touch.

I recently had a moment in which I thought of making an alteration to the book, one that would have required massive overhauls, and work that I quickly realized wasn't needed. The reason? The F-35 fighter jet. The project is currently in perpetual delay, with several client nations waiting on delivery, but it appears that the fighters won't be actively in use for several more years. As I originally wrote Heaven & Hell, I incorporated the use of the F-35, as if for all intents and purposes the plane would already be in use. The research I've done was based on that type. The planes are a critical factor in the book. And yet... the program is plagued by delays. I was almost set to switch over to older models as an alternative, but I've realized just how much overhauling would have to be done. I also realized that in a case like this, particularly because I'm not incorporating dates, the writer (also known as me, myself, and I) can use dramatic license.

Lockheed Martin F-35

One of the things that I've been mindful of while writing was creating a very real world sensibility about the book. It had to feel plausible, as if the events of the book could happen. In the last year, we've seen uprisings in the Middle East and beyond, and that's certainly had an influence on my writing. In particular, the situation in Syria- given that Syrian military forces play a part in the events of the book- has been something I've been paying close attention to. Anyone paying attention to the news these days knows full well that the situation remains unresolved. Assad has made a point of butchering those who have risen against him, and has pretty much earned himself a spot in hell reserved for dictators, tyrants, mass murderers, and vacuum salesmen.

I've built it into the background of the book, featuring a possible path that the uprising might take in time. For the most part, however, this is where the story diverges from the real world. I knew that writing Assad himself into the book was not possible, given where I wanted to take the story. I wanted a scenario where the tyrant has been overthrown, where the nation is in a state of transition. Will that happen? We can only hope for the best, and expect the worst.

Lastly, the Lucky Seven meme has been going around for a little while, so I thought I'd take part. The idea is simple. Go to page seventy seven of your manuscript, go down seven lines, and copy the next seven sentences to the blog. I was tagged for this by Lena and Cheryl, and I've also seen this done by Cynthia. Of course, at our joint blog, our alter egos also played along. So with that, I'll leave you with the sentences in question, from Heaven & Hell....(at least until any further adjustments are made!)

            Malach smiled. “Splendid. See you later.” I’m on my way.

            He ended the call, replacing the phone, finishing the tea. Leaving a decent tip, he paid his bill, smiling pleasantly at the waitress as he left, and walked out towards the waiting Land Rover. One part of the operation was done.

Two Stooges Down And Two To Go

The Crazy Old Man has the Wookie vote secured

Last time I did one of these, one of the front runners among the Four Horsemen of the Republipocalypse had stepped out of the race. Since then, another candidate has stepped out. This leaves the vastly out in front head of the pack front runner still in the race to secure the Republican nomination.... and one Crazy Old Man.

The Republican field has narrowed down yet again, and the editorial cartoonists of the world continue to mine it for gold. I'm wondering if next time I do one of these blogs, we'll be down to just one. Governor Mittens is already looking at potential running mates now that Fig Newtons and Pope Ricky have called it a day. Ron Paul, aka the Crazy Old Man, is still in the running, though he's far behind. Rumor has it he might be asleep, and no one's bothered to wake him up yet.

And so November appears to be shaping up, at last, to be the inevitable Governor Mittens nomination to seize the White House from President Obama. This, after months of being ripped to shreds by his own party, who haven't found him all that interesting to begin with. The President and his team have been busy taking notes on all the ways to finish off what the other candidates already started.

Poor Fig Newtons. Poor Newtron Bomb. He lost whatever momentum he had left after some early victories, and as of late had been routinely getting his head handed to him at primaries and caucuses. Even the wildlife didn't like him. So it was just a matter of time before his campaign funds ran dry and he couldn't go on. As I understand it, the campaign bounced a check for one of the primaries. That didn't bode well. And so he's reached the end of the road. Good riddance, Fig Newtons. Don't bother to write. We won't miss you.

Then of course there's Rick Santorum. Pope Ricky. He Whose Last Name Must Not Be Googled. His Infernal Sanctimoniousness. His High And Mightiness has also reached the end of the line, folded his tent, and dropped out. Rumor has it he's going to continue his work on the new Ten Commandments According To Pope Ricky.

And so it all falls down to Governor Mittens, who inspires little confidence in the GOP. He's been campaigning for months now, getting torn to shreds by his competitors and the Party faithful. They wish someone else were running for the nomination. They seem resigned to committing electoral suicide in November by backing a candidate who can't connect to the ordinary citizen in any meaningful way. One thing runs through their mind: there's always 2016, right?

It's going to be a long summer. Particularly with psychotic washed up nutbar rock singers- whose brains have obviously been fried by too many nights involving recreational drugs, hard whiskey, and strippers named Bambi- ranting about the guy who's presently in the White House. Memo to Ted Nugent's doctors: sedate the dumb git. Post haste.

In closing, for those of you Americans still not sure where to cast your vote in November...

Vote for the cat.