Find the Story Friday ~ OCTOBER!!!

Ok, well I might be a little early for October...(just a day, though - c'mon, now!)  But, it's a month I happen to LOVE!

The weather is nearly perfect.  My mountains are absolutely gorgeous with all the fall colors!  And there's one or two days this month that I can go out in public looking like death and totally get away with it!! :)  I'll admit - I'm a sucker for anything Halloween-related.  I've got Haunted House night planned with my favorite gal pals.  I'm planning to get tickets to a fun Witchapalooza dinner theater.  CORN MAZES!!  Let me tell you - they're a BIG DEAL in Utah!  A local dance company does a production called "Thriller" that's absolutely amazing!  There's fall festivals, pumpkin patches, Witches Night Out, Oktoberfests ~ so much fun.

So, here's my pic of the day ~

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Does this picture evoke some spooky fun in you??  Any Halloween/Fall stories to tell?  Please share!!

And, as always, wishing you much happiness and a Fabulous Fall Weekend!!  Enjoy!

Writerly Wednesday ~ An Excuse...Limerick Style

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There once was a girl named Donea

Who wished to be Dax, named Jadzia

‘Cause it’ll take lifetimes to do

All the things I need to

“Ah, heck. Quark? Give me a Sangria!”

 
(my apologies, blogger buddies - BUSY week!!  I'll have something better for you on Friday.  AND - I'll catch up my visiting this weekend.  Have a good one!!)

Find the Story Friday ~ I know what I did last Summer...

:)  Today, Michael at In Time... is hosting the "What I did on My Summer Vacation Blogfest"!!!!

Click here to see ALL the participants!!!

Well, those of you who've been around for a few of my recent Find the Story Friday posts will already know about my trip to Canada.  Yep - that was the family vacation this year.  And I'll have to admit...I sort of make a bee-line for the local cuisine when I go on vacation:



Poutine!!!

  

Ok...not exactly "local" but the schnitzel was divine!!


 

Sweets are a must...it's inevitable


And you simply can't go into the National Parks of Canada and not see some of the local wildlife:



Ahhh, look at all the babies!!!! :)



 And if you're ever in Banff...you ABSOLUTELY MUST GO to the Banff Springs (haunted) Hotel!  So cool:

My niece (left) and daughter (right) - gorgeous girls!!

And, of course, the scenery all around is just absolutely gorgeous:

The mysterious Hoo Doos...

Brrrrrrr....

I usually throw a few more little trips into my summer plans - hit a few farmer's markets, festivals, there's the 4th of July with friends and family, etc.  There's always something!!  And I try to go somewhere different, some place I've never been before, each and every year.  Southern food is calling my name lately...does anyone know of a nice place to stay down South???

What did you do on your summer vacation?

Happy Friday, all!

Writerly Wednesday ~ Blogfest, Contest and a Question!!

Welcome to Writerly Wednesday, Friends!!

So - I'm short and sweet today.  Or, well...my blog post will be.  (although, I am admittedly short...5' 3 1/2"...*sigh*)

My good bloggy friend, Michael, of the In Time...blog is having a blogfest on Friday, Sept. 23rd:

You should TOTALLY sign up for this!!  What's better than summer vacation pics and LOTS of them???  :)  You can read all about it by clicking HERE.

And now for some contest news ~ this one just sounds amazingly awesome!!  Miss Snark's First Victim blog is gearing up for the 2nd Annual Baker's Dozen Agent Auction!!  If your logline is picked - you could have agents warring over who gets to read and possibly represent your book!!  BIDDING WARS, my friends.  And all logged on-line for the world to see.  It's open to Adult and MG/YA submissions - so if you've got a pretty polished novel - I'd do a quick spit-shine and hustle on over to MSFV's site STAT!

And finally, a question.  Does this font make my prose look big?  :)

Happy Hump Day!

The Worst Movies Ever Blogfest!!

Captain Ninja Alex's army is out in full force today, my friends!!  He's hosting The Worst Movies Ever blogfest today ~ and if you want to peruse some other sure-to-be awful movie posts - please click HERE.

As for me ~ I have a feeling some of you are going to look at my list and go, "What the???  Is she crazy???  That movie is a CLASSIC!  Classic, I tell you!!!"  Or, perhaps, you'll think I've hit the nail on its crap-tastic head.  I have friends who have LOVED a few of the movies I'm going to list here... so, clearly - it's all totally subjective.

#1 - Dance Flick:

Oh, those Wayans brothers...  I could probably fill my list with films that the Wayans have had a hand in...I'm not a huge fan of the Scary Movie franchise, either.  Any movie that has to resort to gratuitous gross-outs for a laugh, sexual or otherwise, just ain't my thang.  Plus, this particular movie was NOT FUNNY!  Or interesting, or ANYTHING.  I'll just come right out and say it ~ It sucked.

#2 - Hot Tub Time Machine:

I soooo wanted to like this one.  I mean, c'mon.  Flash back to the '80's?  John Cusack?  Alas, no.  Another pet-peeve of mine...when the F-bomb dominates the overall dialogue in the movie?  I'm thinking there was probably a problem with the script to begin with.  Just sayin'... :)

#3 - Step Brothers:

Will Ferrell is a hit and miss for me, most of the time.  On the one hand, I LOVE him in Elf.  On the other hand, this movie was TERRIBLE!  The premise...it sort of had potential.  Sort of.  The execution?  Gross.  Not funny.  At. All.

#4 - Natural Born Killers:

This is one of the few shows I can remember, where I actually wanted to leave the theater in the middle of the movie.  I haven't watched it since that first time, and granted...it's been 17 years ago...(and wow, just realized Quentin Tarantino wrote this...explains a lot!) but I think it was the blatant, conscience-free violence in this that really turned me off.  I'm almost scared to admit it, I know there are a lot of Tarantino fans out there...but, I seem to have a similar reaction to most of his shows.  So twisted.  So violent.  Although, strangely enough, I really liked the Kill Bills...  go figure.

#5 - Showgirls:

This movie?  I just have to ask...why?

#6 - White Chicks:

Another Wayans movie...this one wasn't the worst EVER, necessarily.  But, they just looked soooo fake in their white chick suits.  Seriously?  Who could believe they were for real?  And something about the eyes looked uber creepy.  Another pet-peeve - movies that propose something to be real that is just far too unbelievable...and yet people believe it anyhow.  I call it the "duh" factor.

#7 - Howard the Duck:

I waver back and forth on this one.  It's so deliciously campy.  And ridiculous.  The cheese factor is a 10+!!  And yet....it's a fake-looking duck from outer space trying to get it on with Lea Thompson.  Yeah...this one flickers from "worst" to "secret cult-classic love" rather frequently.

#8 - Phantasm:

This one just makes me laugh.  I knew I had to put a "horror" flick on here.  And I use the word "horror" loosely.  I rented this for a birthday party when I was a kid, based on my dad's recommendation.  He told us it was one of the scariest movies he'd ever seen!!  My expectations were high for some creepy, movie fun.  Well...there was fun.  My friends and I still have a running joke about how not-scary this movie was.  *Interestingly enough, though - this movie has a 4 1/2 star rating on Amazon.com.... and I'll admit.  I still avoid mausoleums at night.  Oh, and tall, creepy funeral directors.  OH, and pointy, flying spheres of death.

#9 - Jaws 4: The Revenge:

So, funny story.  When the 1st Jaws movie came to HBO, I BEGGED my parents to watch it.  Today?  I'm lucky if I touch a toe in the ocean.  I'm TERRIFIED of sharks!  But, I love the first movie.  It's a true classic.  Unfortunately - I can't say the same for the sequels.  #4 had to be the worst.  I mean...seriously?  Was it the 1st shark's second-cousin's fraternal twin's brother on his mother's side that was coming after Mrs. Brody this time??  Too much.  Oh, and Mario survives that kind of attack?  Lame.

#10 - Gigli:

Ha!  Just kidding.  I know some "lists" out there report this to be the worst movie in creation.  I've actually never seen it.  My real # 10 is:

I don't know - I'm having a hard time with this one.  I keep coming back to funny-man shows that just aren't that funny.  Steve Carell doesn't always do it for me.  Jim Carrey can be annoying.  I wasn't initially a fan of Adam Sandler's...(although, I quite love him now!!)  Pauly Shore.  Remember him?  So, here's a few options for the worst:   The 40-year-old Virgin, Bio-Dome, Airheads, Billy Madison, The Cable Guy...  Which one would you choose?

I know I've forced myself through some other horrible feats of film-making, but these are the ones that came to mind.  Tell me, do you agree?  Disagree?  Have anything to add?  (btw - all movie posters copied here from imdb or amazon.com)

Thanks to Alex for hosting a fun blogfest!  Can't wait to see what other BAD movies are out there!!  But, here's hoping the next flick you catch is a GREAT one!!  Happy Monday ~ :)

Writerly Wednesday ~ Read any GREAT books lately??

Hi, all!  No tips, today.  But, I'm asking for tips from you:  Have you read any particularly GREAT books, lately??  If you're anything like me ~ your TBR list is already toppling over and you feel a strong need to cover your eyes when you look at it...

source

There are just SOOO many wonderful stories out there, waiting to be discovered!  But, do you have any suggestions that might need to jump to the top of my mounting TBR list?

As it stands, Aprilynne Pike's "Wings" series is the next set for me.

What about you?  What are you reading?

Whatever the story may be, I hope you enjoy it!!  I know I'm looking forward to mine.  Happy Writerly Wednesday, my friends! :)

MONARCH ARC Winner!!!!

Happy Saturday, all!!  As promised, the winner of my MONARCH Arc is....

(per random.org) 

Lucky # 7!!!!  Caitlyn Robison!

Congrats!!!

And I actually already know where this one needs to go, so Cait ~ you'll definitely get your copy before Monarch's release date on 9/15.

To everyone else - thanks for reading, commenting, and entering.  I wish you the best of luck on your next giveaway.  And rest assured ~ I'll have another one of these sometime down the road.  Have a great weekend!!

Find the Story Friday ~ Jury Duty....

I have been the worst blogger friend EVER!!!  Lately...  My sincere apologies for not visiting you all like I want to.  My intention is that will change...as soon as possible.  :)

Anyhow...I'm curious today ~ have any of  you seen one of these in action?
 

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I've spent the last day and a half serving my first stint as a juror.  It's an interesting process!  Kind of funny ~ after we watched the introduction video and were taken into the courtroom, I found it interesting that the potential jurors were actually randomly selected by the clerk picking names out of a box.  I figured I was safe, for sure!!  When it comes to drawings....my name is NEVER pulled!  The universe is funny that way...apparently my name is only never pulled when a cool prize is at stake.

And even then - there was a 50/50 chance that the lawyers would pass on me, too.  Nope.  I must have an objective face or something...?? :)   After initially hoping I'd get out of it, however - I found the process interesting and felt a bit jipped today when they held us in the holding room for 3 hours only to tell us later that the lawyers worked out a plea agreement.  I didn't get to deliberate or come to a decision at all!!!  Ah, well.  A learning experience, none-the-less.

Have any of you ever been called to perform your civic duty in a courtroom?

Anyhow, Don't forget to check out my MONARCH review and chance to win the ARC by clicking HERE.  Contest ends midnight, tonight!

And I hope you all have a FABULOUS weekend!!!

Writerly Wednesday ~ MONARCH Review and ARC giveaway!!!

Hello, my peeps!!  I have the great honor of reviewing Michelle Davidson Argyle's novel, MONARCH, on my blog today.

Check out this cool cover:

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Spys and butterflys?  Awesome.  :)

Here's the back cover descrip of the book:

Nick's life as a CIA spy should be fulfilling, but it has only given him unhappiness, a wife who committed suicide, and two daughters who resent everything he has become. Now, stuck in the Amazon on the last mission of his career, he must track down Matheus Ferreira, a drug lord and terrorist the United States has tried to bring down for years. If he succeeds, he'll have the chance to start his life over again. Just when he's on the brink of catching Ferreira, he's framed for a murder that turns his world upside down. His only chance of survival lies in West Virginia, where Lilian Love, a woman from his past, owns the secluded Monarch Inn. He's safe, but not for long.

 

AND a little bit about Michelle:

 

Michelle Davidson Argyle has been writing since a very young age. She graduated from Utah Valley University with a BA in English and creative writing in the winter of 2002. To date, she has completed five novels. Bonded will be released in fall 2012 by Rhemalda Publishing. She currently resides in the Rocky Mountains. Michelle is an avid blogger and currently runs her own blog, The Innocent Flower, as well as The Literary Lab, which she coauthors with the amazing Scott G. F. Bailey and Davin Malasarn. She is also an editor and publisher of the Literary Lab Presents series of anthologies, an annual nonprofit publication that donates all proceeds to charity.  (woot woot - a fellow Utahn!!!)

 

*I'll admit - adult thrillers aren't typically my genre of choice.  And as I read the first page, the image of a dead guy's blood pooling like butterfly wings ~ simply because I'm just not a blood&guts gal ~ had me a little worried.  But, the worry was for nothing.

 

As I delved deeper into Nick's, Lilian's, and Devan's stories ~ Michelle's deft descriptions and lovely words had me turning page after page after page.  And I soooo want to stay at The Monarch Inn!  And have some of Lilian's cake!!!

 

MONARCH mixes so many interesting elements ~ Nick's life as a spy is something many of us can't even begin to imagine - the sacrifices, the loss, the danger.  Lilian's divorce and the aftermath and her hopes for the future were touching and identifiable.  And Devan's loyalties to his mom (Lilian) and his sense of wonder about his future made him a lovable character.

 

With a thriller ~ it's hard to review too much of the plot.  I don't want to give anything away.  I'll say that, as a thriller, MONARCH does its job of keeping the reader guessing and pushing us to want to know what happens next!  I really enjoyed it.

 

And you can, too!!!  I'm giving my ARC away to one lucky commenter.  The book officially releases next week, Sept. 15th.  But, I'd like my winner to get it before then - so, entries will be accepted until this Friday, Midnight MDT.  I'll contact the winner bright and early on Saturday and (hopefully) get this mailed out to you ASAP!  (sorry - US residents only.)  Otherwise, I encourage you all to show a fellow UT-gal some love and pick up a copy of Michelle's book when it releases on the 15th.

 

Happy reading!!

Find the Story Friday ~ Today is a gourd day!

I love autumn.  It's my favorite season of the year.  And I know we're not quite there, yet...  But, September does herald the season in.  I can't wait to cruise through the mountain passes and take in the canvas of burnt leaves all around me.  The picture I have for you today isn't of fall leaves, but of something else that also reminds me of autumn ~

~<3

~<3~<3

~<3~<3~<3

~<3~<3~<3~<3

~<3~<3~<3~<3~<3

~<3~<3~<3~<3

~<3~<3~<3

~<3~<3

~<3

I'm not sure this picture does them justice ~ the vibrancy of color, the mishmash of unique shapes is what drew me to this bin of gourds in the first place.  Somewhere in there, a disembodied arm is giving me the thumbs up!  :) 

What do you see?

And here's me wishing you all a glorious Labor Day Weekend!!  Of just a good old weekend for my out of country friends ~ :)  Happy Friday!