New Year, New Life

My kids started school today, and for the first time, it was kind of a bittersweet experience. There have been a lot of life changes in the past several months (more on this in the weeks to come, I'm sure), and it all kind of culminated today. You see, we moved across the state to be closer to family. Which means the kids had to start at an all new school. Which would be awesome, if any of their cousins went to their school. The one that lives closest is in a different district, and the ones that are in the same district go to a different school (different levels entirely as mine are in elementary, and the two cousins are finishing their last years of Jr. High and High School). Needless to say all back-to-school excitement was tempered with a lot of nerves.


And today was anticlimactic. They went to school. They met some kids. They came home. The biggest differences were the new rules for the new teachers, which they would have had anyway. Life...went on, as it likes to do.

It was kind of a mirror of everything else that's happened. All this life-altering to-do and...life just kept on going. It's strange how that works, and even stranger that it's rarely seen in fiction (at least not genre fiction--maybe this is what literary fiction is for but I'm not the person who would know such things).

You see, in a book, you get a snapshot of reality. The characters care about each other in some way (even if that way is hate). You don't get a much of a look at the people who are just there, the ones that show life just happening. And even with those close characters--they are all right there through everything.

People say that art imitates life, as if it's a mirror in the way my kids' first day of school was, but I don't think that's true. Art, to me, takes life and experiments on it. It filters it and removes all the mundane details. It condenses it into a concentrated fraction of what life would have been. And then, it takes another concentrated substance (or more than one), and throws them all into a fire to see what happens. Where life ebbs and flows around itself, art...explodes. It doesn't show you the big picture, it shows you the flash.

I'm not really sure there's a magical, important point to this post. It was just where my mind went after walking the kids home from school.

Tomorrow I think I'm going to take a little tiny piece of my life, sit in the sun, and hold a magnifying glass over it. Something's bound to happen. Just wait and see.

I'm Back and Siri Is Stupid

Hi all! The summer of madness officially ends a week from today, at which point I'll start filling you all in on the drama and whatnot that has been consuming all my brain power. For now, I'm going to share a silly story from yesterday instead. (Please bear in mind that the conversation was not archived, so exact wording may be off, but the conversation is basically correct. And the later, funnier, bits are exactly what the damn thing said.)

So, I'm in the car with my kids driving to the grocery store when we start discussing bacon (as we often do). This led to the kids arguing about what male pigs are called. They both had solid arguments and I wasn't really sure who was right. (Turns out they both were in their own ways, but that's beside the point.) So I do what any good mother with an iPhone and her hands on the steering wheel would do--I turn to Siri. This is what happened...

Me: What are male pigs called?
Siri: I'm sorry, I don't see Mal Pecks in your phone book. Should I search the web for Mal Pecks?
Me (frustrated): What are male pigs called?
Siri: You have ____ new email messages. Which one would you like to read?
Me (getting cranky and trying to enunciate): What are MALE PIGS called?
Siri: I'm sorry, I don't know what you mean.
Me: Siri, you suck donkey balls.
Siri: Now, now.
Me (making WTF face): Well if you could understand any of the words coming out of my mouth...
Siri: I don't understand.
Me: Siri, you're a dumbass.
Siri: I am?
Me: Pretty sure.
Siri: I don't know what you mean. Would you like me to search the web for "pretty sure?"
Me: And thank you for proving my point.
Siri: It is I who should be thanking you.

At this point, the kids and I were laughing so hard, I couldn't talk anymore. It was a good night. Hope you had one of those too :)

What Happens in Vegas...

Coming out of blogging hiatus to ask you to come hang with me in Vegas!

Seriously. I'm heading out this weekend for a friend's wedding and then I'm going to be in Vegas for the week for a conference. AND on Tuesday the 20th at 7pm, I (and a bunch of other Entangled authors) will be doing a signing at the Clark County Library (1401 E. Flamingo Rd.) Come out and see us! Buy books, get swag, chat about books! What could be better than all that?

Oh yeah. It's in VEGAS! WOOOT!

Ahem. I might be a little excited :)

Seriously, stop by and talk to me about whatever. Books. My new house. Vampires. Steampunk. Sex. Jeremy Renner. (Yeah. If someone could actually get Renner to show up, I would kiss said person. I might kiss Renner too--it'd be worth the restraining order after.)

So please stop by if you can.

And my blogging hiatus is officially over after I get back from Vegas. Time to get this thing back in gear :)

And did I mention?

VEGAS, BABY!!!!!

Nothing to See Here

No, really. Personal life news happened yesterday and I'm running around like a crazy person. Specifically today I'm running from one side of the state to the other and back again...after an appointment at noon. So, there's no post today. However, the Gaming for Keeps blog tour is still going, and I'd love it if you'd stopped by these last half-dozen places and said hi :)

6/21: Ramblings from this Chick Guest Post

6/24: Cocktails and Books Interview

6/25: Stella ExLibris Guest Post

6/26: You Gotta Read Interview

6/27: Confessions from Romaholics Interview and Review

6/28: Dawns Reading Nook Interview

Normal posting (or as normal as it ever was) will hopefully resume next week :) 

In Defense of Man of Steel

Let me start by saying that Superman is not my hero-of-choice. Like Captain America, he's just too "good" for me. This isn't a slam on Henry Cavill or Chris Evans, but to put it in perspective, my favorite Cap scenes in Avengers are where he's mouthing off to Tony Stark because he's not being nice. Basically they are hunky and awesome and too nice for my inner bad girl to deal with.

So, when I went to see Man of Steel, it was with pretty low expectations. Parts of it were worse than even my low expectations could deal with, but other parts were refreshingly good. And because I'm all full of positivity today, let's start with the good.

(Oh, and there will be spoilers galore. You've been warned.)

First... Henry Cavill looks AMAZING as Superman. (Yes, I'm a girl. Yes, I noticed. Yes, I liked what I saw. Deal with it.)

Second... It wasn't all camp and bad jokes! It was kind of dark and brooding. I really liked that. I never quite bought into the alien falls to earth and is raised by humans and everything is just awesomesauce. I LIKED that it was hard and scary for Kal-El.

So poor Kal (I like that better than Clark) has all these powers and all this...noise in his head that he can't deal with. I watched the scene with him as a little boy in school and all I saw was any other special needs kid (specifically autistic kids) who are overwhelmed. And the students response to it was very real too. He's different and everyone knows.

No wonder he's more than willing to listen to Jonathan when he pushes the "they will fear you" line. That's his DAD--the guy whose job it is to look out for and protect him. So he listens. And he keeps listening. The one day he questions Jonathan and gets torn apart between wanting to be the hero and wanting to listen is the day he watches his dad die.

This, quite realistically, fucks him up...for years.

One could argue that by age 33, he should have come into his own and not been playing by those same rules. But he's not human--he doesn't have the kind of friendships that would help him grow into his own, and his father-figure died--a fact which he feels responsible for. So, I am totally willing to forgive the delay as Kal quests for information on where he came from. AND I understand why he's so ready and willing to follow the path laid out by Jor-El. He'd spent however many years yearning for a new father and fell back into the pattern of wanting to listen and please. (Yes, Superman is a submissive. *shrug*)

This was horribly real and tragically beautiful. Loved it.

Also, I felt like he and Lois had enough of a connection and enough going on between them to justify the kiss at the end. The writers put in enough feeling (and the actors worked it) so it didn't feel like an "extra" to me.

MAJOR SPOILER

I also like that he killed Zod. His entire existence to that point had been about life-saving, especially after watching Jonathan die. I like that Zod forced Kal to face that choice of killing the one to save the many. Obviously the Phantom Zone didn't keep Zod away--Kal couldn't trust it to work the second time "just because." So, yes, I'm glad they had him kill the fucker. And I am interested in seeing how that affects Kal in the next installment.

Now onto the bad.

The special effects of the fight scenes on earth. Dear gods, some of them looked like they'd been done by first year film students. I don't know who was in charge of quality assurance there, but they dropped the ball. It made the fight scenes suck for me.

And they were LONG. Like gouge my eyes out from the bad FX and beg for them to make it stop long. Extended fight scenes can be done well. If a particular film-maker can't do them well, it's far better to have short but awesome fights.

Zod. *sigh* I'm sure the guy is a good actor, but after seeing him as a bad guy in this and Premium Rush... I just don't buy him as a bad guy. I want to hand him a puppy and a cookie and tell him to be a good boy and go play with his legos. Sorry.

MAJOR SPOILER

Logic Fail. Lois knows he's Clark. She CALLS HIM Clark all the damn time. This means the military knows he's Clark Kent. All of Smallville knows--because I'm sorry, after he shows up as Superman, no one is that stupid. So, him showing up at the Daily Planet trying to disappear again... No... No. No. NO. I would have been fine with Lois knowing. I would have been fine with just the IHOP guy and the priest in Smallville knowing enough to know Clark is Superman. But once the government knows? There are no secrets. I can suspend disbelief long enough to pretend they couldn't figure it out, but if they KNOW? I can't believe it'll stay a secret. If you're going to pull an Ironman, then don't puss out at the last minute.

To sum up, I loved the history and the build up of the romance. Loved Henry Cavill in the role. I will probably see the next one. But I'll be horribly disappointed if the people in charge don't even out some of the issues.

Release and Blog Tour Madness!

So, you might have heard me mention that Gaming for Keeps came out yesterday, but if not, here are all the links your heart could want to find it....

Amazon 

Barnes & Noble

Kobo

iTunes

Books-a-Million

All Romance eBooks

Now that that little bit of business is over, onto the blog tour! Some of these stops may have giveaways, but since I'm not sure which future ones will and which won't, I'm not mentioning any and you'll just have to look (because I'm evil, that's why.) Also, anything after yesterday is a general blog link since I don't have direct links yet.

6/5: Reading Reality Interview and Review

6/7: Tangled in Pages Interview

6/10: Harlie's Books Interview and Review 

6/11: Manga Mania Cafe Interview

         Here Be Magic Post

6/13: Storey Book Reviews Guest Post and Review

6/14: Bookishly Devoted Review

6/19: Bookin It Reviews Guest Post

6/20: As the Pages Turn Interview

6/21: Ramblings from this Chick Guest Post

6/24: Cocktails and Books Interview

6/25: Stella ExLibris Guest Post

6/26: You Gotta Read Interview

6/27: Confessions from Romaholics Interview and Review

6/28: Dawns Reading Nook Interview

Teaser Tuesday

So...I'd planned a righteous rant for today. Problem is, I'm still too angry and it came through in the words. No one needs that kind of negative energy from me. So, I'm holding off until I have a little more distance and then I'll still post about the most important parts of it. 

Instead, today we're going to celebrate! Gaming for Keeps comes out Monday!!! 
(EEP! *panicked muppet flail*)

Ahem. 

So yeah. I'm nerv-cited, heavy on the nerv. Which sounds a little like nerd which is kind of close to geek, so... how about this geektastic excerpt and I'm going to go flail in the privacy of my bedroom.

~~*~~

He waved the bartender over but a girl slid onto the stool next to Cal and the bartender stopped for her first. Typical.

“What is the strongest decent-tasting vodka drink you know how to make?” Penelope? Her voice startled him and his fingers slipped in the condensation on his mug. Only his quick reflexes kept the beer from sloshing all over him.

She turned his way. Same dark brown waves—this time done up with leaves pinning them to her hea —same button nose, same sensual golden-brown eyes. Somehow good fortune had decided to shine on him for the moment and brought her to his side again.

Penelope leaned on the bar and pursed her lips as she looked at him. Her gaze didn’t rake over him like other women’s—she stayed fixed on his eyes like she could pin him in his seat. He’d never felt so happy to be trapped. “For a minute there, I figured you had on some ridiculous gauntlets or something, but I guess you just have butterfingers.” She winked, breaking the spell she’d cast on him. “Cursed by a sorcerer with a flair for the ridiculous?”

His lips twitched into what felt like a very non-broody non-dark-elf smile, and he fought his way back to seriousness. “Unlikely. I would have killed him before the incantation left his lips. I rather think it was shock at the way in which you so boldly invaded the space I’d clearly defined as my own. Few would have the nerve to attempt such a maneuver.”

“Yes, well, not so long ago I sent a human aggressor into the fetal position with nothing more than a single move of hand-to-hand combat. I’m feeling rather full of myself right now. Pardon me if I don’t consider a dark elf who can’t decide between a scowl and a smile to be much of a threat.”

Oh, he already liked her a lot more than was wise. “I think I’ll choose to alternate between the two in order to keep you on your toes.”

“And here I thought you wanted to drive me off.”

“Perhaps.” He shrugged, noting the way her eyes lingered on his shoulders. “Or maybe I was just waiting for someone brave enough to stick around.” The bartender returned with her drink—something crimson and steaming. She’d said vodka, so he shouldn’t react to it too badly after the beer. The bartender set the glass down, and Cal tipped his head toward it. “I’ll take one as well, and put them both on my tab.”

The bartender was gone before Penelope managed to get a word out. Her mouth snapped shut a second later. She held up her glass, stared deep into the contents for a moment, then turned and met his gaze. “I appreciate the drink, but I hope you aren’t expecting anything for it.”

Huh? “Only the pleasure of your maddening company for as long as it takes you to drink it.”

She regarded him over the top of the glass, something like a challenge dancing in the depths of her eyes. The glass slowly tipped up, her lips molding against it, and she kept tipping. Her throat worked as the liquid poured through it. When she placed the glass back on the bar, it was empty. She ran her tongue along her lip, catching the drops of red that lingered. “And now?”

If she was this much of a spitfire all the time, he was doomed—in the very best way possible. Assuming she liked him, too...and that she didn’t have a boyfriend. He’d deal with the latter issue if and when it came up because, at the moment, she wasn’t acting like a woman with a man waiting for her.

He jerked his head to the side in a half-assed shrug—two could play her game. “And now you either walk away, let me buy you another drink, or stick around to talk just because you find me charming. Your choice.” He took a sip from his own glass and turned to examine the bottles lining the far side of the bar. And watch her in the mirror behind them.

Her lips curled up and then she pressed them together in a way that was simultaneously innocent and sexy as hell. “If I let you buy me another one I’ll have to drink it much slower. You could be stuck talking to me for hours. Positive you don’t want to take your chances with someone that’s more of a sure thing?”

This was so much better than a stalker-ific phone call could have ever turned out.

Cal tilted his head toward her and forced himself to frown when all he wanted to do was completely break character and grin like an idiot. “I don’t know about that.” He waved at the bartender and pointed at her empty glass when he finally got the man’s attention. “Seems like you just confirmed you are most definitely a sure thing as far as conversation goes.”

~~*~~

So there's a little taste-test of Cal and Pen. If you want more (and I hope you do) there are all sorts of things you can do!

Join the release day party on Facebook 

Add Gaming for Keeps to your Goodreads shelf

(It might be other places too, but I know you can) Pre-Order from 

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

iTunes 

Books-a-million

Kobo

AND the official blog tour starts tomorrow! So be sure to keep an eye out for all of that <3