Interview with TF Walsh

Today, we have a special guest on the blog! May we have a nice warm applause for TF Walsh the author of the new book 'Cloaked in Fur'! She was so sweet to have an interview with me. I simply adore interviews, I really should do more. 

Tell me a little about yourself. 
Thanks for having me on your blog today.

Well, I was born in Romania and moved to Australia with my family at the age of eight. My dad has always loved writing and is quite well known in Romania, so I guess from an early age I started to show interest in writing. Sure, they were only poems or lyrics, but it was a start☺ It was only when I finished university that I considered trying to write stories. Fast forward many years later, when I was home sick from work that I attacked my first novel, and no looking back from there. Aside from writing, I’m a huge baking fan with snickerdoodles being my all time favorite cookies. I live with hubby and two gorgeous kitties.

 Tell me about your book? 
Cloaked in Fur is book one in the Wulfkin Legacy series. Here’s a little blurb: As a moonwulf, Daciana never expected to fall in love with a human. Hell, she never imagined that she’d abandon her pack, endanger everyone around her, and break the worst rule possible. But she did. A rogue werewolf is killing Daciana’s friends, and she sets on capturing the creature. She’ll do whatever it takes to stop the beast. The police and her boyfriend, Inspector Connell Lonescu, are starting to question her involvement in the murders, which is endangering the pack’s secret existence. But when the pack alpha kidnaps Connell, revealing the awful truth about the creature and its connection to the pack, Daciana must choose between saving the man she loves and saving her pack family from certain death.

 What inspired you to write this book? 
I grew up listening to bedtime Romanian stories that could only be compared to the Brothers Grimm tales, and ever since then folklore and mythology has fascinated me. These influences have trickled into my stories, and in particular Cloaked in Fur, which is based in Transylvania—a place seeped in legends. Now, when it comes to love, I’m a sucker for stories about two people from different worlds falling madly in love and fighting against the odds to stay together. This is the story I wanted to tell in Cloaked in Fur; showing how far someone was willing to go to hold onto true love.

 Why werewolves? 
I grew up watching horror stories, in particular, monster ones. My favorites were the vampire and werewolf stories. Because I wanted to base my book in Romania, I wanted to show the country had legends beyond Dracula, so I went with my next favorite topic. Plus, what I love about werewolves is their hidden nature. Anyone could be a werewolf hiding in his or her human guise. Whether a person's lycanthropy is beyond their control, or whether they maintain their control, when they change, they are equally frightening. Traditionally stories of werewolves were used to inspire fear, but they have since been romanticized in popular culture. In Cloaked in Fur, I wanted to use both of these sides of the werewolf.

 What inspired such unique names such as Daciana or Connell? 
I did a lot of research for my character names as I wanted them to fit both their location, but also have a deeper meaning. Daciana is derived from the Roman Dacia – a name for the region that is today Moldova in Romania. Stories say the Dacians were originally known as daoi, which means wolf. Connell is from England, and his name just caught my interest… can’t really explain it, but it felt right for my character.

 What’s next for all your fans? Maybe a sequel? ;) 
The sequel, Cloaked in Secrecy, is set to come out very soon. I’m so excited to be telling Enre’s story. Here’s a teaser: What better way for a pack of wulfkin shifters to hide themselves from the world than right before their eyes performing in a circus.



 Thank you so much TF for joining us! I am excited to see what you have in store for us next!

FitReaders Week #9 & Birthday celebration!

This challenge is organized by Geeky Blogger's Book Blog & That’s What I’m Talking About
Saturday: 1.5 mile walk & 30 mins Yoga Sunday: 1 mile walk/jog & 5 mins weights Monday: Nada  Tuesday:  Nada Wednesday: 1.5 mile walk & 15 mins Yoga      Thursday:  1 mile walk  Friday: 1.5 mile walk  Conclusion: Horrible week for me. I really have no excuse since I had Monday thru Thursday off. >__< I was just lazy this week and focused on school. Boyfriend's birthday was Wednesday! Here are some pictures. :3 I spoiled him. I had gotten him a whole bunch of gifts from Ohio that were part 1 of his birthday gifts. hahaha

I ordered the cake...I did not make it. LOL I am good at baking, but not that good. 

Movie Review: Brave (2012)

Length: 1 hr & 33 mins
Released: 2012
Genre: Animation, Comedy, & drama
Rating: PG
Where I Got It: Rented

SUMMARY:
Merida is a skilled archer and impetuous daughter of King Fergus and Queen Elinor . Determined to carve her own path in life, Merida defies an age-old custom sacred to the uproarious lords of the land: massive Lord MacGuffin, surly Lord Macintosh and cantankerous Lord Dingwall. Merida's actions inadvertently unleash chaos and fury in the kingdom, and when she turns to an eccentric old Witch for help, she is granted an ill-fated wish. The ensuing peril forces Merida to discover the meaning of true bravery in order to undo a beastly curse before it's too late.

TRAILER: 

REVIEW:

I've been avoiding this movie for the longest time. I am not sure why, but I have been. Being Scottish myself, I should have jumped for joy and ran to the theaters to see a Scottish princess make her debut. After thinking about it, I did the same thing to 'Brother Bear' (which I have reviewed a while back); maybe it is because I prefer Disney movies that have some sort of love interest? I love when Disney does break away from the norm and have more layers to their films. Like 'Frozen' and how Anna not only finds true love, but Elsa and Anna find their sisterly love again. I totally get it! 

However, 'Brave' is soley about Merida and her relationship with her mom. They are so different and have different ideals about being a woman, so being an idiot, Merida goes and gets a potion to "change" her mom; which turns her into a bear. Rule one of magic....BE SPECIFIC!!!! Bleh! But yes...this is completely different story for a "Disney Princess" and I regret avoiding it. It was a beautiful film. It was hilarious and I was cracking up! Especially with the maid. Poor girl...at least she got the hot guy in the end. hahaha

I loved how Merida and her mom had to reconnect in order to break the curse. They both had to be brave enough to understand each other. I am glad that the mom got to see why Merida loves the outdoors and being a wild girl. Like fishing and just flat out running with the wind in her hair. Now, am I Merida's side? No, because it is a princess' duty to marry in order to keep the four clans together and at least have some control of your hair. My lord she was a wild child. I have crazy Scottish hair too, but I try to keep it looking decent. Now...am I on the mom's side? Not really, Merida is obviously too young to marry (in my opinion...she is like 13) and she should at least hear Merida's side. There was a lot of miscommunication that could have been avoided and no one would have to be turned into a bear. Perhaps that is what you get with two fiesty Scottish women. haha 

The best part of the film was the animation. They did SUCH a lovely job with bringing the Highlands to life. I was in such awe over it. Simply lovely.

I am glad I made myself watch this movie. It is a beautiful story of mom and daughter reconnecting and understanding each other. The scenery was lovely and I applaud them for bringing Scotland to life. There was also a lot of humor! It was hysterical. I do not like Merida...I think she is one of my least favorite princesses. Is that bad too say? I really think she was an idiot and selfish. However, she did have a change of heart, so I like her more at the end. Out of five stars, I stamp this with 3 stars. 

Favorite Character(s): The triplets, the maid (she was so funny and I felt so bad for her), the witch, and King Fergus

Not-so Favorite Character(s): Merida (she got better at the end, when she realized she was being an idiot and selfish) 

Book Review: Splintered by AG Howard

Author: AG Howard
Title: Splintered
Genre: Fantasy, YA, Retelling, Adventure, & Fiction
Pages: ebook
First Published: Janurary 2013
Where I Got It: My shelf (Borrowed from friend)

Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.


When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own.

Soooo addicting! From page one, I could not put the book down! In one sitting, I fly through 80% of the book. Luckily, I had the day off in order to not feel guilty. haha. I love the original tale, but this was a nice "sequel"/remake of it! I loved how things in Wonderland are little different then what an innocent 8 year old recounts; its a wee bit darker, but her innocence would be blind to that. LOVE it!

Now...the last 20% of the book did slow me down. It was still fast-paced and lots going on, but it never seemed to end. It is hard to explain, but the last little chunk just was not as good as the rest of the book. I was NOT happy with what happened. I cannot say, but I was not pleased with what happened to Jeb and how Alyssa used her tear wish. That should've never happened, because I felt like the last 80% was for naught. *SPOILER ALERT* She wished that he never even came on the adventure at all, so time was reversed and he did not step through with her. So he is all safe and at home, so everything they went through was for nothing! UGH! Frustrating *SPOILER ENDED (I had to use black instead of white bc you can totally see the white with the new look of the blog - haha) 

ANYWAYS...

I was not a huge fan of Jeb OR Morpheus as suitors for Alyssa's love. If I was her, I would say no to both of them. I can see why she was attracted to both of them and why they liked her. However, Jeb is a control freak to her, even when he is dating Taelor! They are "best friends", but he tries to control her and it made me shake my head. I get that Alyssa loves him, but I would not stand up for controlling ways and I would be blunt with him, "You are not my father or my boyfriend - you have no say what I do. You can give me your opinion, but DO NOT go to my dad and try and control my life with him." Then slap his hand, "BAD FRIEND, BAD!" Bleurgh. 

And then there is Morpheus...selfish, selfish man. Hot? Yes, but not someone to trust. Jeb can see through his string of lies, but Alyssa is as naive as her great-great etc grandmother. At first I didn't mind him too much (I get it...everyone has their own motives and they want what they want), but then there was a reveal and nope...bad guy. A good bad guy? Yes and I applaud how bad he was. However, I hate how many characters he represents. Can't he just represent the Wise Caterpillar? It was annoying. 

Overall, this was such a fun ride! The writing style was amazing (even with the last 20% and a certain event that made me shake my head - too easy of a fix), the characters were SO 3D and intriguing, the twists were awesome, and I was in love with Alyssa and her adventure. I totally recommend this to those that like a little dark in their YA and retellings of Alice in Wonderland. So fun. Out of five stars, I stamp this with 4. 

Favorite Character(s): Alyssa, Alyson (her mom), Morpheus (a complex baddie...I like it), and Queen Ivory
Not-so Favorite Character(s): Taelor (snot), Red Queen, Morpheus (meh) & Jeb 

B's Monday Review: A Ghostly Undertaking by Tonya Kappes

Blurb:
A funeral, a ghost, a murder…it’s all in a day’s work for Emma Lee Raines…
Bopped on the head from a falling plastic Santa, local undertaker Emma Lee Raines is told she’s suffering from “funeral trauma.” It’s trauma all right, because the not so dearly departed keep talking to her. Take Ruthie Sue Payne--innkeeper, gossip queen, and arch-nemesis of Emma Lee’s granny—she’s adamant that she didn’t just fall down those stairs. She was pushed.

Ruthie has no idea who wanted her pushing up daisies. All she knows is that she can’t cross over until the matter is laid to eternal rest. In the land of the living, Emma Lee’s high-school crush, Sheriff Jack Henry Ross, isn’t ready to rule out foul play. Granny Raines, the widow of Ruthie’s ex-husband and co-owner of the Sleepy Hollow Inn, is the prime suspect. Now Emma Lee is stuck playing detective or risk being haunted forever. 

My thoughts:
Emma runs a funeral home with her perfect sister. And Emma is not so perfect. A plastic Santa fell on her and now she can see dead people. Everyone in town whispers about her and are changing funeral homes. So it's not a good day to be her. I did feel like I would have wanted to see the whole santa thing, maybe a pre novella? But we were told so I am fine with it. Cos I do not like pre novellas anyway.

Right the dead people thing then. It's just one dead person. One annoying arch enemy of her gran, and this annoying person tells Emma it was murder! What to do? Pretend she is not there or solve the murder and get rid of her? She goes for the investigating stuff and stumbles upon a few things. I am not gonna say she is a perfect detective, no, she is lucky but does not always get things right. But that is just fun to read about.

I do wonder what her's sisters issue is though, such a stick in the mud.

There is also a blossoming love interest with the town sheriff, as her path does cross with him a few times. I think they can be good for each other. I liked him.

And more drama is to come. She is still "crazy" according to townies, so how will they run their business? More ghosts are coming too. I guess I will just have to read book 2 to find out :)

Fun, a good mystery, and a heroine that I enjoyed reading about.

Paperback, 288 pages
Expected publication: February 24th 2015 by HarperCollins (first published October 1st 2013)
Southern Mysteries #1
Cozy mystery
For review

Book Review: The Witch of Napoli by Michael Schmicker

Author: Michael Schmicker
Title: The Witch of Napoli
Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy, & Paranormal
Pages: ebook
First Published: Janurary 2015
Where I Got It: My shelf (Given to me from the publisher/author for an honest and unbiased opinion)

Italy 1899: Fiery-tempered, seductive medium Alessandra Poverelli levitates a table at a Spiritualist séance in Naples. A reporter photographs the miracle, and wealthy, skeptical, Jewish psychiatrist Camillo Lombardi arrives in Naples to investigate. When she materializes the ghost of his dead mother, he risks his reputation and fortune to finance a tour of the Continent, challenging the scientific and academic elite of Europe to test Alessandra's mysterious powers. She will help him rewrite Science. His fee will help her escape her sadistic husband Pigotti and start a new life in Rome. Newspapers across Europe trumpet her Cinderella story and baffling successes, and the public demands to know - does the "Queen of Spirits" really have supernatural powers? Nigel Huxley is convinced she's simply another vulgar, Italian trickster. The icy, aristocratic detective for England's Society for the Investigation of Mediums launches a plot to trap and expose her. Meanwhile, the Vatican is quietly digging up her childhood secrets, desperate to discredit her supernatural powers; her abusive husband Pigotti is coming to kill her; and the tarot cards predict catastrophe. Inspired by the true-life story of controversial Italian medium Eusapia Palladino (1854-1918), The Witch of Napoli masterfully resurrects the bitter,19th-century battle between Science and religion over the possibility of an afterlife.

Oh, poor Alessandra...all she wants to do is talk to the dead, but people are out to either kill her or try to find that she is a fake. I adore Alessandra and I wish the book was in her POV, but 'tis not. I do like Tomos who is telling the story, but I would have enjoyed it being in Alessandra's POV much more. 

GAH! How much proof do you need Nigel? GAH! I wanted to punch him in the face, because he was so pig-headed. Aren't scientists suppose to, well, believe when they see the same proof over and over again? He was an idiot. Lombardi was bad too, but after seeing proof he got better (I still didn't like him still).

It was certainly an adventure, but the middle got a little dry due to lack of action. However, as the ghosties got a little upset, the story got interesting again and made the dry spell totally worth it. The author certainly does a spell of his writing himself...you can fly through 50 pages and not realize you read so many pages so quickly.

There is so much more I want to say, but it will indeed ruin it. The ending was super sad! However, you know it's going to happen, because Tomos tells you its going to happen, but I wanted it to more happy. Sad. 

In the end, I totally recommend this to those that like historical fiction mixed in with some supernatural/paranormal happenings that are trying and failing to be debunked by the scientists. Out of five stars, I stamp this with 3 stars. :)

Favorite Character(s): Tomos & Alessandra
Not-so Favorite Character(s): Lombardi, Alessandra's husband (scum), & Nigel

FitReaders Week #8

This challenge is organized by Geeky Blogger's Book Blog & That’s What I’m Talking About
Saturday: 1.5 mile walk  Sunday: 1.5 mile walk/jog & 5 mins weights Monday: Nada  Tuesday: 1 mile walk  Wednesday: 2 mile bike ride, .25 jog, & 1 mile walk     Thursday:  2 mile walk  Friday: 1 mile walk  Conclusion: Not a bad week, especially with me working over 40 hours this week and last week. :)

Movie Review: Mary and Max (2009)

Length: 1 hr & 32 mins
Released: 2009
Genre: Drama, Comedy, & animation
Rating: G
Where I Got It: Netflix

SUMMARY:
Spanning 20 years and two continents, "Mary and Max" tells of a pen-pal relationship between two very different people: Mary Dinkle, a chubby, lonely eight-year-old living in the suburbs of Melbourne, Australia; and Max Horovitz, a severely obese, 44-year-old Jewish man with Asperger's Syndrome living in the chaos of New York City. As "Mary and Max" chronicles Mary's trip from adolescence to adulthood, and Max's passage from middle to old age, it explores a bond that survives much more than the average friendship's ups-and-downs.

TRAILER: 

REVIEW:

My friend recommended that I watch this movie. It took me a bit to get motivated to actually do it, because I can be lazy and skeptical. This movie certainly surprised me...it was way better then I imagined. 

The premise seems simple, but there was so much going on in the story. It begins with poor Mary randomly picking an American to write a letter to. Little did she know the person she wrote to was a 40 year old man who's name is Max and he is a New Yorker who has Asperger's Syndrome. A weird relationship and I can why Mary's drunk mother was not pleased. She was a drunk and totally forgot about it and it continued on. However, it is a simple friendship that changed both of their lives for the better. Some parts made me shake my head, but I enjoyed it. I totally would not let my 8 year old talk to someone like Max, not only because he is old, but because there is a lot wrong with him mentally...but oh well.

The animation was creepy...cool...but creepy. It didn't help that the colors are dark, but the animations they used were awesome, but creepy. 

It was a little slow at one point, but I couldn't stop watching. It's one of those movies you can't keep your eyes from. Maybe it's the creepy animations, but maybe it's the story, maybe its both. It got a little dark near the end, but there was a shimmer of hope at the end and it made me smile.

I totally recommend this to those that need a weird and different movie in their lives. It has creepy animations, but the story is amazing. It was sad, but funny as heck. Poor Mary...poor Max. Both had poopy lives before they found each other through letters. Out of five stars, I stamp this with 5 stars. 

Favorite Character(s): Mary, the rooster, and Max (even tho he had a lot of issues).

Not-so Favorite Character(s): Damien and Mary's mom

Book Review: Relentless by Tim S. Grover

Author: Tim S. Grover
Title: Relentless
Genre: Business, Nonfiction, & inspirational
Pages: 256
First Published: April 2013
Where I Got It: My shelf (Amazon)

Direct, blunt, and brutally honest, Relentless goes to the “dark side” of competitive intensity and killer instinct, that intangible zone where good becomes great, daring you to admit what’s stopping you from succeeding, and forcing you to see that to be the best, you have to keep getting better, never stop working and improving, and never accept being “good enough.”

Over the past two decades, Tim Grover has trained more than 100 championship athletes from all the major professional sports, including Hall of Famers Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Alex Rodriguez, Ken Griffey Jr., and many others. Now Tim Grover will finally reveal how the best athletes in the world harness their fears and instincts to achieve unstoppable greatness.


Relentless offers you the secret sauce; Grover describes how to tap into this “dark side,” an intense quality that exists in all of us and has applications in all aspects of life—from fitness to business, from work to school. The appealing part of the promise is that it’s not about some magic diet or pill or squat pattern you do to become better. So much out there tells you how to change by looking for external solution. Tim contends that everything you need is already in you. He shows you how to find it, tap into it, and use it to achieve true greatness.

At one of my meetings at work, my boss shared this book with us. She shared some quotes from it and told us to use it. It inspired me quite a bit, so I decided to grab up the book myself and give it a read. It took me a while to finish, because I re-read sections and made notes and wrote down my favorite quotes. Rarely do I do that...even for school. haha

This is not like any "inspiration" books out there. He is flat out honest and doesn't give you crap about "passion", "inner drive", and "think positive". JUST DO IT! Find something you want and go for it until you get it. He's trained the best of the best like Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan. He knows what he is talking about.

The first couple of chapters are the best. Once he goes along sharing stories and how to do what they did and why they did what they did, it does get a little ramble-y, but it good to see examples instead of all talk. I do love how he ended it. 

Here are a couple quotes I liked:

"It's time to stop listening to what everyone else says about you, telling you what to do, how to act, how you should feel. Let them judge you by your results, and nothing else; it's none of their business how you get where you're going. If you're relentless, there is no halfway, no could or should or maybe. Don't tell me the glass is half-full or half-empty; you either have something in that glass or you don't."

"Decide. Commit. Act. Succeed. Repeat."

"When a Cleaner [Someone relentless] makes a mistake, he can look you in the eye and say, 'I fucked up'.

That's it. Confident, simple, factual, no explanation. You made a mistake? Fine. Don't explain it to me for an hour. The truth is one sentence, I don't need a long story. You tell me you messed up, take responsibility..."

Is this type of inspiration for everyone? No. Some people need a softer tone and softer hands, but I need a rough kick in the pants sometimes. I don't like critical feedback sometimes, but I do need a firm kick sometimes. This book totally inspires me.

In the end, I really liked this book. I am so glad my boss brought this to my attention and inspired me to read it. I loved it. Anyone who wants to be relentless and needs some hard and simple truth should read this. Out of five stars, I stamp this with 5 stars. 

Ohio Trip Pictures

I meant to post these with my FitReader post last week, but I totally forgot. xI I had a lot of selfies, but oh well. haha. Since I have nothing to post this week, I shall just post them here. ^.^

All packed and ready to go

Local park

Walked around for a bit

Some shopping! WOOT WOOT

Boyfriend's gift.

NEW HAIR CUT

My co-worker and me

B's Monday: Her Mad Hatter by Marie Hall

Alice is all grown up. Running the Mad Hatter's Cupcakery and Tea Shoppe is a delicious job, until fate--and a fairy godmother with a weakness for bad boys--throws her a curveball. Now, Alice is the newest resident of Wonderland, where the Mad Hatter fuels her fantasies and thrills her body with his dark touch.

The Mad Hatter may have a voice and a body made for sex, but he takes no lovers. Ever. But a determined fairy godmother has forced Alice into Wonderland--and his arms. Now, as desire and madness converge, the Hatter must decide if he will fight the fairy godmother's mating--or fight for Alice.

My thoughts:
Alice is a young woman obsessed with the mad hatter, and she thinks depp was HOT as him. Do I think so, haha, no. So could I see the mad hatter as hot? Haha, so not hot. Euww.

Did I think the mad hatter was sexy when I did not see him as Depp? Haha, god no. The guy was insane. Not insane in a cool or dark way. No the guy was truly insane and should have been locked away. He is the crazy creepy guy standing in a park talking to his pigeons and shouting things at those who pass by. I did feel the author only wrote about him cos she has a crush on Depp. But hey nothing wrong with that. I just..no. Not even as Sparrow.

The story then. Fairy godmother Danika needs to find true loves for her bad boys. And Hatter is tired of his Alices. He certainly does not want this new one. Lucky for him she likes guys who are insane..insane..INSANE.

A short novella about an insane guy talking in riddles and the woman who really loves him. Throw in some drama at the end and a HEA and the end. I enjoyed it.

39,500 words 
Kindle Edition, 129 pages
Published July 7th 2012
Paranormal romance fairy-tale
Own

Book Review: TAP - The All Powerful by JK Brown

Author: JK Brown
Title: TAP - The All Powerful
Genre: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, action, & adventure 
Pages: ebook
First Published: September 2014
Where I Got It: My shelf (Given to me by the author/publisher)

Jason Wyton is a young, high-class soldier, fighting for Alya in the Great War of Valanor. With enough combat experience to retire after his next deployment, his superiors, a 3-star Commander and a mysterious mercenary, plot to get around Alya's laws and keep Jason fighting, permanently. 

After the strange disappearance of the prototype Horizon Rifle, Jason finds himself and a couple colleagues framed for treason. He flees, suspecting his two former leaders are behind it all. The Divisionists, Alya's prime enemy for decades, fight using supernatural powers rather than technology, and don't trust Jason thanks to his relationship with the mercenary. 


Jason's mentor, Brace, gives him a choice: to hide and retire until the war ends, or to fight against those who have wronged him.

What an interesting book with such an interesting world! I was totally drawn into the world from page one. I wish there was more world building at the beginning, so I could understand what was happening more, but I could totally be biased, because I did like the world and I wanted to understand more about what was happening. 

I loved the whole technology vs supernatural powers (elemental); it was cool. The two worlds are completely different, but they share some similarities as well. Honestly, I think I would want to be in the elemental world myself. They each have super major flaws and issues of their own like Scarletta's being enslaved by a fellow elemental. That guy had some issues and he deserved a punch in the face! A good side bad guy. I liked Scarletta....I felt bad for her tho. :/ 

Poor Jason. A good warrior and a decent guy. All he wanted to do was retire and be done with war. Even tho he sometimes wouldn't admit it too himself that he was over the whole thing...warrior mentality you know...they have mixed feelings about retiring.

Why was everyone so young in this world? Geezer and Brace were considered super old and they were in their 30s and 40s! Was it because of the war that everyone died young, so they had to reproduce young? Perhaps. I couldn't help but chuckle when an "old" person came into the picture and Jason and everyone was like "He's/She's sooooo old!" I thought it was funny and a nice twist to the story! 

Now the ending was good! It left me wanting more, but it wasn't overly cliff-hanger-ish, so I was happy. It doesn't make you feel bad to not continue, but it leaves you wanting to continue. Awesome.

There was one point where there was a possession of one of the characters. That said character attacked the group and tried to kill the group. They managed to restrain them without killing the character. They met up with Geezer and asked what happened. He said that said character must have been possessed by some animal. It wasn't ever really solved on how and why and by whom. It happened and then they never really talked about it again. I really wanted to know who, why, and how! Unless I missed it? IDK. 

This would make an amazing TV show or movie! I honestly would vote for a TV show, because I don't want anything left out! I loved the group of people on the adventure! They were well written out with awesome personalities. The all seemed nicely formed and 3D. At first I was worried about Josh and Jacquie...because they did seem 2D at first, but as the story went on their characters became more complete. 

BTW - I love the title and the cover.

In the end, I totally recommend this for those that like fantasy/sci-fi books. This was a cool world with a cool concept and interesting characters. If there is a second book, I would totally read it! Out of five stars, I stamp this with 4 stars. 

Favorite Character(s): Scarletta, Jason, Jacquie, and Josh
Not-so Favorite Character(s): Scarletta's owner & the main baddie

FitReaders Week #7

This challenge is organized by Geeky Blogger's Book Blog & That’s What I’m Talking About
Saturday: 1 mile walk & 15 mins Yoga (limited time to be alone in the hotel room - I shared with my co-worker) Sunday:   3 mile walk & 10 min weights Monday:  Nada Tuesday: 1 mile walk/jog & 5 mins of weigh lifts Wednesday:  1 mile walk   Thursday:  1.5 mile walk, 30 mins Zumba, & 20 crunches Friday:  1.5 mile walk & 20 crunches Conclusion: An okay week for me. :) I got back Sunday night from my roadtrip and had Monday off, so I was lazy that day ;) hahaha.  

Movie Review: Stardust (2007)

Length: 2 hours & 7 mins
Released: 2007
Genre: Fantasy, Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi, & Drama
Rating: PG-13
Where I Got It: Netflix

SUMMARY:
The sleepy English village of Wall is so named for the cobblestone wall that has, for eons, kept the villagers safely apart form the supernatural parallel universe that lies just on the other side. It is here that young Tristan Thorne makes a wild-eyed promise to the prettiest girl in the village, whose heart he hopes to win: that he will bring her back a fallen star. Now, in order to make good on his promise, Tristan will have to cross the forbidden wall, and enter a mysterious kingdom lit by unending magic and unfolding legends. In this fantastical realm known as Stormhold, Tristan discovers that the fallen star is not at all what he expected but a spirited young woman injured by her cosmic tumble. Now, she is in terrible danger--sought after by colossal powers including the King's scheming sons for whom only she can secure the throne; and a chillingly powerful witch desperate to use the star to achieve eternal youth and beauty. As Tristan sets out to protect the star and bring her back to his beloved on the other side of the wall, he encounters with a pirate captain and a shady trader, among other surprises. But if he can survive, Tristan will also uncover the secret key to his own identity and a fate beyond his wildest dreams.

TRAILER: 

REVIEW:

I was a good kid...I read the book first, even tho I was super tempted to watch the movie. I am a bad kid and I do like watching the movie first once in a while. 0.o

Anyways...

Before I discuss anything else...I must complain about what they did with Clair Danes eyebrows. WHERE ARE THEY!? DO STARS NOT HAVE EYEBROWS? WHAT? WHY? HOW? Dumb. Ugh. Throughout the whole movie, I was totally distracted by the lack of eyebrows. Along with Clair Danes eyebrows, her voice and acting really annoyed me. Normally, I think she's an okay actress, but in this? She left me wanting more (and not in the good way). Was she trying to act nonhuman? IDK...but meh.

Besides for the missing eyebrows, this was funny. Way funnier then the book. The whole humor of the ghost of the dead brothers following around the live brothers was hilarious. In the book, it didn't work as well as in the movie. Their faces and judging ways were hilarious. They didn't have to say anything to make me laugh. Just an eyeroll. Along with the brothers being funny, the witch sisters had me laughing too. haha. They cast the perfect actress for the eldest sister. This movie was just making me laugh the entire time! It did have its "awe" moments because there is a romance going on.

It was upsetting that they cut out a few of the characters, but I totally get why sometimes too many characters in a movie can get confusing. Plus, they wanted to give Tristan's dad some more spotlight and more of a hand in Tristan's adventure. 

I AM SO MAD THEY LEFT OUT THE LION VS THE UNICORN SCENE! UGGGGGGGH! THAT WAS MY FAVORITE FABLE REFERENCE!!!!! MEH!

However...they made it up to me in the ending. I like how they edited it a bit and added a little glimmer and more "awe" to it. :3 I can't say what, but I liked it a lot.

Book or movie? Ummm, I liked both, but honestly.........they were the same. There were some things I didn't like about the book and then some things I didn't like about the movie. I rate them about even. In the end, I stamp this with 3 stars as well. It would've been 4, but they cut out my favorite scene. >_____>

Favorite Character(s): Tristan (even tho he was a silly boy), the ghost brothers, the unicorn, and Tristan's mom

Not-so Favorite Character(s): Victoria (*sighs*) 

Re-watch?: Yeah. I want to make Boyfriend watch it