Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Friday, Finally

Some days are just better than others. Happy weekend!

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Reality, Really

A dose of reality, please.

Hollywood appeals to us -- even when it doesn't. On some level we envy or harbor a tiny lust for money, attention, admiration and even drama. I may call it love or something a little nobler, but I still hunger for something I can't find in my every day life that I think could be fulfilling -- if only. If only I had a personal trainer for eight hours a day, or a nanny. If I had the perfect car, or an unlimited budget life would be so sweet. How about the love of an amazing person, or at least one who looks amazing standing next to me?

We read about stars knowing they have some slice of life that we can only hope for, and somehow attach importance, as if they possess a special touch. Oprah has loads of wisdom. Why? She makes authors. Why? Does their book improve if she's read it? Brad and Angelina are the perfect couple. Really? Is that true?

So why do we even consider that anything celebrities say is of better quality than what our neighbor down the street thinks? Money, fame, beauty? Do pretty lips make truth?

Then there's the flip side. The hunger for the dirt. We love to see our celebrities fall. And we often act so surprised. Like uberattention, scads of money, socially liberating substances and all the flesh money can attract are good character builders. Madonna is getting divorced. This shocks us. Maybe it's the sick uncontrollable desire like when we drive by an accident. Must look, don't want to see anything awful, must look. Remember the intro to the old Wide World of Sports show on Saturdays. The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. I don't remember the thrill shots, but the agony...who can forget that poor guy. Yeah, the gold medal winners get the victory circle, but the amazing failures join them in notoriety.

I suppose a daily dose of superstars won't kill us but it's not exactly a multi-vitamin either, is it?

Serials and Scenarios ~ House of Wolves ~ Bronleewe

First chapter...warning...you never know where you might end up once you begin to read.

Matt's website. And click on the book cover for more info.

Matt Bronleewe has visited before. Reacquaint yourself with him and Illuminated (Book One) by clicking and then scrolling down.

My Review:

House of Wolves is an entertaining sophomore offering from Matt Bronleewe starring August Adams who may be one of the more charming anti-heroes to appear in fiction in a long time. Fascinating facts are written into amazing stories involving death, secrets and believe it or not, fun humor. This series really deserves to see the big screen. Feeling very much like Indy and National Treasure, House of Wolves takes the reader along for a thrill ride as August attempts to save the world (only because he has to). Big Honken Chickens may not like the smattering of violence. However, the humor manages to ease the drama a bit. I love the family interaction between August, Charlie, Grandpa and April. I hope Bronleewe is hard at work on the next chapter of the Adams' lives. I can't wait to read it.

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Pat's Puppet

I've shared Pat's (my dad's) rocky relationship with Sunshine the parrot. Lately that rocky relationship has turned into mountainous terrain with snow and ice encased pathways that could crash and cause disaster at any moment. Seems Sunshine is not a happy camper. Not a happy anything. Pat has spent an unnatural amount of time in the office aka parrot habitation. And Pat's white calves taunt Sunshine from across the room.

Sunshine's Nightmare. By Sunshine Parrot

Pat's calves maneuvering the office chair on rollers from computer to printer and back again are begging for a bite, for the claws of fury from poor, little caged Sunshine.

Oh, Sunshine has tried. He's closed his eyes and attempted not to notice the soft, pinkish flesh. He's tried. Sunshine can taste the legs, he's almost had them before. So close. Pat is not known to be quiet. Oh no. Pat laughs out loud at e-mail forwards and tosses out a frustrated bark when the stupid numbers don't add up. Pat is not known for his love of paperwork and computers that do not cooperate. Shudder. Bad. Bad. Bad atmosphere in this room.

Sunshine forces his focus to the calming background music but he can hear those calves calling to him.

It's gotten so bad that Sunshine must refuse to leave the cage. The woman has betrayed him by leaving this Pat to click endlessly on the machine. Sunshine will eat, eat and fluff and grunt his complaints. But that's it. No more Mr. Nice Parrot.

Last week was the final indignity. The water dish needed to be washed out. The woman has fallen for Sunshine's threats and wouldn't dare stick her hand in the cage. So Pat volunteers. Sunshine gulps to keep from salivating. Not a juicy calf, but an arm will do.

Suddenly, Pat laughs and holds out a denim-armor encased arm. He slides the door open, slips in the blue covered arm, grabs the water dish and replaces it with fresh, clean water. All the while talking in a stupid voice as if his arm is a puppet.

Sunshine may start throwing seeds. Or, hmmm, is there another thing he could do that might become a Pat-be-gone? Sunshine will hum to himself and think happy thoughts of revenge. Night Pat.

Serials and Scenarios ~ Robin Parrish's Merciless

Adventure and comic book hero lovers keep reading. You'll want to check out Merciless by clicking on the book cover, read the first chapter here and visit Robin Parrish's website, and finally click then scroll down here to see my review of book two -- Fearless and Robin's interview.



My Review:

Merciless is the final novel in the "Dominion Trilogy." Comic book-type heroes, doomsday ruination of the world, death, sorrow and pain fill this book with dark moments. Robin Parrish not only handles these moments with page-turning intensity but also sensitivity.

This story is a loose allegory of the fall and redemption of man. Parrish handles the lean spiritual aspects with an interesting historical focus which made the storyline appealing. A Christian label on a book that doesn't have the plan of salvation spelled out but is much told in a world view of the awareness of man's fallen state and his need for redemption.

There are difficult passages dealing with heavy violence or loss of life. Super sensitive readers need to be aware of this. Merciless isn't an easy read. With prose that seemed more fluid than Fearless, Parrish also relaxed his vocabulary which will help readers who may not want to read with a dictionary. This also tightened his prose and made the story more natural and compelling.

The Dominion Trilogy is a solid adventure series with heroes that are truly bigger than life told in a voice that commands attention late into the night. Adventure lovers should look further into these novels.

Super Cinema Saturday ~ The Savages

My Review:

Awkward coming of age drama with moments of humor that lighten things up to the point that the emotion is tolerable. Coming of age, literally, as a brother and sister in their middle years are forced to come to terms with the dysfunction in their own issues when their estranged father's life drastically changes at the onset of Parkinson's disease.

This is not a light movie. Heavy, heavy themes that lay out life in all it's grittiness and the complexity of human relationships in all of the quirks, masks and coping mechanisms. Poignant to the point that it was almost depressing, but it is filled with a raw kind of beauty and a lot of truth. A deeply character driven film, desperate, raw in several spots. Squeamish viewers may not do well with a couple of sex scenes and an adulterous relationship as well as some coarse language. The end is hopeful. Great acting. Those who love heavy dramas and character pieces might want to take a deeper look at The Savages.

Serials and Scenarios ~ Tracey Bateman Serves it Up

Scroll down if you missed the review and chapter one link of ... That's (not exactly) Amore.


Tracey delivers up a bit of quirk from the Dregs menu.

Fiction character you would most like to be or most identify with and why?

Anne of Green Gables, because she never does the same wrong thing twice.

If you could ask any person, living or dead, a random question -- what question would you ask of whom?

Samson (from the Bible)What were you THINKING dude?

Some out there in writing land have strange rituals.

Not me. I pretty much go with the flow. Rituals annoy me.

If you could change something in any novel, what would you change about it and why?

Rhett would give a Damn, because in my heart, he truly did.

What crayon in the box describes you on a good day? Bad day? Which one do you aspire to be?

If I aspired to be colored wax, I'd seriously consider getting help. I mean, I'm already considering it, but it has nothing to do with crayons.

Favorite turn of phrase or word picture, in literature or movie.

It was the best of Times it was the worst of times... from A Tale of Two cities. I think the world is in this mode right now. We have technology to accomplish just about anything man can dream and yet evil is rampant and people still go to bed hungry in the US and we still haven't figured out how to live in peace (although Jesus said we wouldn't), IT truly is the best of times and the worst of times. Very cool writing, I think.

If you were assured of writing a best-seller, what genre would it be? Give us a sliver of information, a characteristic or glimpse of a scene.

I truly don't know. Probably women's fiction with an imperfect heroine and lots of real issues. I'd love to write something that deals with the afterpain of abortion or spousal abuse.

What period of history intrigues you the most?

It used to be the Civil War Era. But lately I'm more of an in the moment kind of gal. I'm intrigued with what the future will say of us in history. What choices have we as a society as a church as individuals made that will leave a lasting legacy for those who will follow?:

What makes you feel alive?

Air

Book, music, person, food you would take with you on a very long trip.

Music...Cold Play, Sanctus Real, Juno soundtrak. People...family. Unless it's a long ROAD trip, then I'd leave th kids at home and go by myself with my music and pretzels.

Favorite season and why?

Summer, because it's hot, winter because it's cold, Spring because it's fresh, fall because my mom likes it best and I like my mom.


Favorite chore

Is that a joke?

Grammatical pet peeve…sound off.

When someone says "These...something IS (instead of "are"). We get that a lot here in the Ozarks, I'm afraid

Societal pet peeve…sound off.

Hungry kids--this ought not be.

Thanks, Tracey. Have a great weekend all-ya