Movie Review - The Green Lantern

So I finally saw The Green Lantern. I have to say I wasn't overly impressed.

The movie starts with a huge info-dump, where they try to set the scene by telling us a whole lot of information I really had no interest in knowing... What? There's three thousand-and-something sectors? Wow... There were a number of moments where I was left thinking 'Why would I care?" I understand that they're working from a pretty dense piece of source material, but it's a matter of culling out the boring bits and just including what really matters.

Things take a turn in the other direction as soon as we return to earth, where we crash straight into the stereotypical and clichéd characters with the most predictable relationship possible. Very little thought is put into character development... We learn all we need to know about their personalities in the first five seconds and they hardly move forward throughout the rest of the film, except for the token revelation later on, which once again had very little build up and just happens. It was hard to root for the main character. They tried to make him likeable, explaining away his cocksure attitude with flashbacks to his father's death, and using his relationship with his nephew to show that there was more under the surface, but it just left me cold.

Ryan Reynold didn't seem to excel in his role. Although he brought his trademark banter and sarcasm it seems like it's become a routine and doesn't have the same kick it used to. The only reason I was still rooting for him at the end was... well.... it's Ryan Reynolds... have you SEEN his abs?

I just don't understand how they could have spent so much money for the film to have turned out this bad? I was so excited about this film but watching it was like watching a twelve year-old who had been given free-reign to create his dream film. In the current movie climate, where we have amazing superhero films like Batman, Iron man and even Thor, hitting cinemas, movies like this really need to step up their game. Unfortunately The Green Lantern failed to deliver.

Girl Crush Monday - Emma Watson

Girl crush: Feelings of admiration and adoration which a girl has for another girl, without wanting to shag said girl. a non-sexual attraction, usually based on veneration at some level.

Urban Dictionary

We all know her story, and watched her transform from the cute little girl to the poised and elegant young woman she is today. Emma Watson is the perfect example of the right way a young starlet should grow up. She's had so many opportunities and she has made the most of them, unlike a number of other child stars I could mention.

She's accomplished, hard-working, down-to-earth and she has her priorities straight. Even during an intense filming schedule she still maintained her studies, spending up to five hours a day with tutors. In June 2006 she took her GCSE examinations in ten subjects and walked away with eight A* and two A grades. She passed her A levels too.

 Emma still continues her studies today, enrolled in a liberal arts degree at Brown University in America, an ivy league school. She recently took some time off so she could commit fully to her filming commitments, but she is now back to study, spending this semester at Oxford before returning to Rhode Islande for her final year.

Not only is Emma smart,but she's stylish as well. She has an elegant personal style, dresses like a lady and know what suits her. She has also collaborated on the organic and fair trade clothing lines produced by people tree.

"I think a lot of young people like me are very concerned about the environment and care about the wellbeing of those working in extreme poverty. People Tree is all about giving people choice. The more I can help promote Fair Trade and organic clothing manufacture, the greater chance we have as a generation of changing lives and of saving our planet. From little acorns.. I wanted to help People Tree produce a younger range because I was excited by the idea of using fashion as a tool to alleviate poverty and knew it was something I could help make a difference with."

I'm proud of the Harry Potter producers, for picking such a well-adjusted girl, who obviously had the support she needed not to fall into some of the common traps. And I'm proud of Emma for maintaining the dedication and restrain necessary to grown into the lovely young woman she is today. I wish more girls aimed to emulate Emma, rather than the LiLos of the world.

It's a Woman's Prerogative

It's a Woman's Prerogative to change her mind. I've decided that I am going to exercise that right.

 

With the change of name, and the changes occurring in the story as it is edited, I have decided that the current cover is no longer appropriate. That, combined with the fact that I found the perfect artwork, means that I have decided to redesign the cover of The Sphinx Project.  

 

As of today it is finished, and it looks amazing. I liked the last one, and it was appropriate at the time, but this one is absolutely awesome! I can't wait to show it to you, but I won't be revealing it straight away. That would be too easy. 

 

To begin with I will be revealing a teaser from the cover when my Facebook page reaches 500 likes. From then on I will reveal another teaser every 100 likes until we reach 1000, when I will release the full cover. If the Facebook page doesn't reach 1000 before February first I'll reveal it anyway. 

 

So there you have it. Are you excited? I certainly am. I can't wait to show it to you, so make sure you spread the word and help me to release this as soon as possible!

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Procrastination And A Surprise

I've found that after working a night shift I can't concentrate on writing. As frustrating as this is, I've rediscovered the joys of procrastination. I thought I'd share some of the things that have entertained me so far today, before I try and kill this writer's block.

First of all I came across this video, proving that you definitely shouldn't judge a book by it's cover, you might be surprised by what you'll find underneath.

Oh, and on the topic of covers... The Sphinx Project has been redesigned, you'll find out more about the new cover when my Facebook page reaches 500 likes.

Then I found THIS adorable article looking for a home for a blind dog... and her guide dog...

I found another video, showing a future stunt-man in the making:

And lastly, some good old-fashioned girl power!

Anyway... I've gotta go and start looking at getting some words down... I think I'm going to need some chocolate.

Don't forget to enter my HALLOWEEN GIVE-AWAY!

A Little Halloween Give-Away

In celebration of Halloween and all things ghoulish I've decided to host a give-away!

The prizes:

• 1 advance electronic edition of The Sphinx Project
• 1 paperback edition of The Sphinx Project
• An additional advanced electronic edition of The Sphinx Project for every 100 entries the give-away receives.

Entering is simple, just fill in the form and you're in the draw. There are heaps of ways you could earn additional entries so check out the list:

• +1 Follow this blog using the 'join this site' button on the top of the sidebar.
• +1 Like me on Facebook HERE.
• +1 Follow me on Twitter HERE.
• +1 Add The Sphinx Project to your Goodreads Shelf HERE.
• +1 Tweet about the giveaway.
• +1 Vote for The Sphinx Project HERE.
• +1 Vote for The Sphinx Project HERE 
• +1 if you refer someone to my Facebook page HERE. If they like the page and comment on the wall to tell me you sent them I'll add it to your total. 
• +1 if you post your favourite Halloween picture on my Facebook wall HERE (an extra +1 if there's a cute animal involved)
• +2 if you refer someone to the give-away and they tell me in the comments below you sent them.

Entries are open until midnight on October 31st (GMT). Entries after that time will not be considered.

ENTER NOW

Ethics and Cute Guys

Today I began fiddling with the insights section of my Facebook page, and it has revealed some rather interesting facts. For example, of the 350 people who like my Facebook page, ninety percent of them are female, and a quarter are between the ages of thirteen and seventeen.

Although these are my primary target readers, I knew already that the majority of my readers would be older, simply because I know that young adult books are not just for teens. So many fandoms today are made up of older women. Those who fell in love with the likes of Harry Potter in their youth and have had their passion for good stories grow as new books feed their love of the written word. You just need to look at the Twilight phenomenon to see the perfect example; so many of the fans are teens, but just look at how many grown women profess their love for Bella and Edwards as well! Which leads to my next point, over half of the people who like my page are between the ages of eighteen and thirty-four, an additional ten percent between the ages of thirty-five and forty-four.

Now you may be wondering why I'm spouting all these numbers at you, expecting you to care? Well I'm posting this today, because of a post I'll be writing soon.

At first I was hesitant to write the post, even if it was in fun, wondering if it was appropriate for me to write in such a way when I know that teenage girls will be looking at the page. However, I've had some time to think about it and have realised that this is probably tamer than a lot of conversations they have in their cafeterias at school. I'm not going to be writing anything explicit, and even young girls cut the posters of guys out of their favourite magazines and pin them to their walls.

Some time this week I am going to be pointing out some very valid reasons why women everywhere should learn about rugby, simply so that I can share pictures of some delicious rugby players from around the world... even if the best ones are from New Zealand.

Star Wars Love

Over the last week I've started edits on The Sphinx Project (again). I'm loving it but I've been super busy. I didn't have the chance to write my Girl Crush Monday in time, so I'll be writing next week's tomorrow and scheduling it because I know after a weekend of work I won't have a chance closer to the time.

Anyway, this post is a short one combining two of my loves; Star Wars and Halloween.

Today I came across this picture:

Now usually when I see pets in costume the first thoughts to race through my head are a combination of *groannnnn*, "yeuch" and "you've gotta be kidding me," but for once they were completely absent. The first thing I thought when I saw this was: That is freaking awesome!

It's kind of appropriate that I'm posting about costumes, because it is now October after all and that means just one thing: Halloween. When I was a kid Halloween wasn't really something we celebrated; it's not a big thing in New Zealand, however I have always LOVED dressing up. Over the last couple of years I have dressed as a fairy, a vampire, a ninja and Lara Croft, but I don't know what to do next... I'm thinking some sort of mummy/zombie hybrid, or perhaps Medusa... What do you think? Have you got any suggestions?

Now I told you this was going to be a short blog, so I'm going to cut it off there... But check back soon for the one where I really start blabbering on, when I talk about cosplay.

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The Lord Of The Rings Read Along

I have a confession to make, one that's quite embarrassing to me as a fantasy writer.. I've never read The Lord of the Rings. I don't know why I haven't read the books; I read The Hobbit when I was younger, I must have been eleven because we were on holiday in Australia at the time. I remember enjoying it, even if it was tough going at times. I've seen all of the movies too, the extended editions and extra features, over and over again. I've even watched and read every piece of 'the making of' that I could find. I love them, they are the best movies I've ever seen, which is why it is so perplexing that I've never read the books.

Well now I have decided to change that. Starting next week I am going to be working my way through the entire series.

I know that I'm not the only one who has somehow managed to pass the years without reading these books, so I'm inviting everyone to join me in my read along. Whether you've never read it, or you simply want to enjoy them all again you're welcome to take part! Every week I will recap what I've read on the blog (probably about 2-3 chapters a week) and I'd love to hear your thoughts as well.

Why now? Well why not? As I type The Hobbit is in the process of making it way to the big screen... well, maybe not RIGHT now, seeing as it's after midnight in New Zealand, but you get the picture... And I kind of miss having a reason to think about Orlando in that blonde wig... *sigh* ... and Viggo.... *slap* sorry guys, I'm back!

What do you think? Are you in? I'd love to have other people on board with this as well, so comment below to let me know if you're interested or not... If there are any other bloggers interested let me know and I'll see about making up a little button.

Girl Crush Monday - Jennifer Lawrence

Girl crush: Feelings of admiration and adoration which a girl has for another girl, without wanting to shag said girl. a non-sexual attraction, usually based on veneration at some level.

Urban Dictionary

To be completely honest I'm not sure I know exactly what motivated me to write this; whether it was my admiration of Jennifer Lawrence, or my absolute adoration for The Hunger Games.

If you aren't already familiar with Jennifer Lawrence she is a young American actress who began acting in 2004. Having already starred alongside some of the biggest names in Hollywood she has received various awards and nominations including a nod from the Academy, which has made her the second youngest person to ever be nominated in the history of the best actress award after Keisha Castle-Hughes.

I first discovered Jennifer Lawrence early this year, when she was cast as Katniss Everdeen in the film adaptation of one of my favourite books: The Hunger Games. I was shocked at the response from some of the fans, and decided that I wanted to find out about her by my self before I made any judgement. I knew that being blonde and blue-eyed she wasn't going to get an amazing response, but I am well aware that in the world of movie magic appearance doesn't matter because there are so many ways they can change the way you look.

At only twenty-one years of age Jennifer has already produced quite an impressive body of work. She's acted alongside many big names such as Mel Gibson and Jodie Foster, and receiving a huge variety of awards and nominations. Earlier this year she received a nod from the Academy, and is the second youngest person ever to receive a nomination in the best actress category.

I began my research with her award winning turn in Debra Granik's Winter's Bone. This is a gritty and very real drama featuring Jennifer as Ree Dolly, a strong young woman charged with caring for her two younger siblings and mentally ill mother. The movie follows her journey as she tries to track down her missing father, after she finds out they're about to lose their home because he posted it as bail bond before he disappeared. I would strongly recommend checking out this movie, because she definitely displays some impressive acting chops. I can say with conviction that she made this movie, and without her I doubt it could have been anywhere near as successful.

I then looked to something a little lighter: X:Men: First Class, where Lawrence dons the blue body paint to pull off a brilliant performance as Mystique. This film is a lot more mainstream than Winter's Bone, and much easier watch.

I have to say that I fully support Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen, even before I saw the brilliant pictures of her in costume that Lionsgate released. I think that she is an incredibly strong actress, as well as being a good role model for girls these days. Considering her job, and her recent success, she is still a down to earth young woman. She dresses appropriately, she is realistic about her body and her curves and she has a good relationship with her mother- she took her to the Academy Awards instead of a date!

"I don't really diet or anything. I'm miserable when I'm dieting and I like the way I look. I'm really sick of all these actresses looking like birds... I'd rather look a little chubby on camera and look like a person in real life, than look great on screen and look like a scarecrow in real life."

I also love how determined she is; she graduated from high school two years early and moved clear across the country to pursue acting and she hasn't stopped since. She knows what her job entails and isn't scared of getting down and dirty if it's what is required to get it done.

"I'd have walked on hot coals to get the part (Ree Dolly). I thought it was the best female role I'd read - ever. I was so impressed by Ree's tenacity and that she didn't take no for an answer. For the audition, I had to fly on the redeye to New York and be as ugly as possible. I didn't wash my hair for a week, I had no makeup on. I looked beat up in there. I think I had icicles hanging from my eyebrows."

You will be able to see Jennifer on the big screen again in March next year tackling the role of Katniss in The Hunger Games. In the meantime make sure you check her out in the teaser trailer below.

A Blog About Lots Of Things

This blog is about a few different things and it will be quite long, so I'm posting a little breakdown right here for those who just want to know the basics.

1. I have changed the release date The Sphinx Project to 28/02/12
2. I'm waiting for the editor to finish off the manuscript.
3. I want to be a best-selling author.
4. This blog has reached 1000 hits, but now it's time to upgrade.

Okay, first and foremost: I have decided to push the release date back for The Sphinx Project. Recently I've had some concerns about the book and, after a chat with my lovely editor, I believe that this is the best course of action. It's not that the book is terrible, I could have a book ready and waiting for you on December first as planned, it is simply because it is not as perfect as it could be. We've discussed a number of aspects regarding the book, including some pretty major plot points, and I have a nice little to-do list to work on.

At the moment the manuscript is still with my editor, and it will be until some time later this week. When she is finished with it I shall be working on rewrites, which will take up the next couple of months depending on how heavy my work load is. When it is once again as good as I can make it I will hopefully be able to send it back to Rhonda for another run through, to make sure it is as close to perfect as it can be. I'm going to yell it out right here, I LOVE MY EDITOR, she's seems to be on exactly the same page as I am, and a lot of the issues she has raised have been things I already had some concerns about.

Anyway, for those of you itching to know, The Sphinx Project now has a release date of February twenty-eighth. I know it is a while away, but please let me explain...

When I chose December first I didn't really have any reason other than a wish to release it in time for the Christmas rush. It was just basic commercial sense to have it ready for the biggest buying time of the year. I didn't look at what other books were being released because, to be honest, I didn't consider them my competition. I figured as an unknown indie writer I wasn't going to have people seeking me out, I'd maybe sell a few copies to friends and families, and hope that others would find me through Amazon browsing or friends on Goodreads. In my mind I wasn't going for the big bang release, I hoped that I'd be able to start off with whoever I managed to convince to buy my book and slowly expand through word of mouth.

Well now I've had a change of heart; why should it matter if I'm indie or traditionally published? From now on I'm going to position the book so that it has the best chance of success. I looked at the next few calendar months, considered the work that was still left to do on the book, and then began researching when certain books were being released. January was out straight away, there are dozens of fantastic looking young adult books being launched by the mainstream publishers alone, there is no way I'd be able to make my little indie book stand out. It's hard enough for an indie writer to convince book bloggers to consider reviewing their book as it is without the huge influx of traditionally published titles. The start of February was still quite busy, but I really didn't want to make you wait months and months longer than expected for the book, so I decided that the end of February would be appropriate.

I wanted to make sure that I released the book on the Tuesday, because the New York Times Best-sellers List is compiled using data from one Tuesday to the next. Now I'm sure I can hear some laughter out there as you snort at the idea of a newbie indie write even thinking about the list, but by George I am going to try my best. I'm sure you've all heard the quote 'shoot for the moon, even if you miss you'll land among the stars'. Anyway.. on with my rambling. I chose the 28th because it is not only the last Tuesday of the month, but it is also the only Tuesday at this point in time which does not have a release from one of the major publishing houses, which reduces the competition at that point in time and means that there is less congestion when approaching the bloggers (again).

So there you have it, the new date and why I've chosen it.

Anyway... In my sleep deprived hours at work I've been contemplating my blog. Before I dive into the nitty-gritty I just have to do a happy dance, because the other day it finally passed 1000 hits *dances*.

Now this may sound like a cold-hearted marketing exercise but it's not, my book is my baby and like any momma I want to do my best by it; if I want to give my book the best chance of success I need to figure out how to raise my own profile. A blog is one of a writers most important marketing tools, it's the major link between me and my future readers. Its purpose is to interact with you by providing interesting updates about the books and other topics of interest. The hardest part of writing the blog though, is finding content suitable for the readers I want to attract. I've been thinking hard and I think I've decided what I'm going to be doing on this blog in the future.

I've decided that I'm going to continue writing the new Girl Crush segment, and try and make it a weekly occurrence. I know from a lot of time spent within the online young adult community that most of my readers will be young women, and I think that this section would be enjoyable for them.

I've also decided that I'm going to be including more current content that is related in some way to my stories and characters, that is not directly related to writing. For example The Sphinx Project is about Michaela who is a genetically engineered young woman. Due to the gene manipulations she has a number of enhanced abilities that make her better than regular humans. I plan to include more content about superheroes and people with special abilities in categories such as books, films, comics and even current affairs. I believe that the people who would be interested in these topics may find my book interesting. I will also, closer to release date, talk more about gene manipulation in the real world- I promise not to get to technical.

I've also been considering attempting to Vlog, but to be honest I'm not entirely sure if it's for me. I've seen Jackson Pearce's videos (I blogged about them in my first girl crush Monday) and I just don't know if I could live up to someone like her. She's so energetic and interesting and fun, of, and did I mention energetic? On top of that she speaks well and everything she says makes sense! I'm worried that I'll come across sounding like a loser, or that you guys will laugh at my weird accent... Or that I'll never figure out how to make the damn things in the first place!

Anyway, that's just an idea that's on the table....I've spent way to long on here... I need to get to work. I'd love to hear your opinions on today's post and any suggestions you have regarding marketing, vlogging (including what you'd like to see me vlogging about) or what you want to see on the blog in future!

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