Tuesday, 3 September 2013
Star Trek: In To Darkness.
Yes!!!
DeeDee has finally watched Star Trek 2!!!
This film combines two of my favourite things: Star Trek and Sherlock! Or to be more precise: Cucumberpatch!!!
First off I just want to say poor old Admiral Pike! ;-(
I liked his character a lot in both films and was sad to see him go. Also I could have done with a bit more 'old' Spock, I missed him.
I really enjoyed the movie, it had the same snappy dialogue that characterised the first film, and I think it shifted from excitement/suspense to comic/wise cracking very smoothly.
Some funny in jokes and the continuation of some old gags in the first film worked nicely too, I particularly like Bones ever more inventive metaphors. I also want to see Sulu get his own ship, just so I can hear him say his first name more often.
Hirkaru, just in case you were wondering.
I really love that name...
Anyway... If there was one niggle it's that Spock wasn't really Spock-like enough for me this time around. In the first film I think Zachary Quinto really nailed it, this time I felt a little disappointed. I liked how he explored Spock's struggle to contain his anger, but I feel he was too soft in this film.
Gotta be honest, I don't want to see Spock crying.
That is just wrong on soooo many levels... I can't even... just no.
Then of course there is Captain Kirk... I don't really have a lot to say about Kirk. As a child William Shatner was my favourite character in the TV series.
Don't judge me!
Chris Pine is an okay Kirk, I just don't find him very memorable, or very likeable. Spock gets to be all reserved and mysterious, with all that pent up anger that makes him interesting. Bones gets to be all dry wit and wise cracks. Chekov gets to be sweet and nerdy, plus he has a cute accent. Hirkaru, because I'm refusing to call him Sulu now I know his first name, has skills when it comes to a samurai sword, the guy needs nothing else to be epic! And Scotty: well Scotty is SIMON PEGG!!! He just has to stand in front of a camera to be funny!!!
What does that leave poor old Chris Pine???
He's stuck playing a womanising hothead, with a seriously bloated idea of his own cleverness, who seems to stumble upon the right thing to do by accident rather than any merit of his own.
Did that sound harsh???
Blame it on all the exersize I'm doing lately! ;-P
And then we have Khan... or Cucumberpatch, as I like to call him. Well... what can we say about Khan other than he wasn't a baddie: he was just tragically misunderstood!!! ;-P
Great acting and very much a scene stealer!!!
So I guess this is where I tell you which of the crew of the Enterprise was my favourite this time round...
Bones takes it again!!!
Consistently good in both film, I'll like to see more of his grumpiness in the next film.
Who's your favourite???
Comment below and tell me!
DeeDee xxx
Sunday, 18 August 2013
Starting At The Beginning (Again!!!)
Yes, it is that time once more!
Yesterday I made a start on the third book in my three book challenge. I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with writing the first fifteen to twenty thousand words of a new story. It is of course easier if it is the second in a series, and you're not introducing a new world, and new characters, to your readers from scratch. However the follow on books in a series come with their own problems.
First lets list the Pros:
1. I love the feeling I get when I open a brand new writing pad and set pen to paper.
2. I love knowing that in a few months time the book will be completely full of my handwriting.
3. I love that I know already the path that I want the story to take, but also know that the twists and turns that get me there are going to take me by surprise!
If it's the next book in the series then there are even more Pros:
4. Catching up with familiar characters. I love writing about characters I've already developed, when I started writing Broken Truce I could hear Deeta's voice in my head as though she'd never been away.
That sounded crazy, didn't it?!?!?
5. Revisiting a world you love. It is soooo much fun to pick up where you left off in the last book, and add more and more detail to a world that exists entirely in your head...
I'm back in to crazy territory, aren't I???
The Cons
1. Engaging the reader. I know that's pretty basic but it is SO HARD to set up the story, everything that's to come, and hook the readers interest at the same time. Information overload is a big risk at this point!
2. Don't rush! Another thing I really struggle with: as the writer I know what's coming, and I can't wait to start writing about it! Building up to the BIG scene, the one that hooks the reader completely, is sooo important.
If it's a book in a series:
3. Making sure your characters are the same. This one is the one that's giving me sleepless nights at the moment. We've all read that book, had our favourite characters and waited, oh so impatiently, for their book only to be disappointed when finally reading it. THIS isn't the character you love, sure they have the same name, live in the same world, and have the same friends as the character that you love. But that doesn't make them the same person!!!
I hate, hate, hate it when that happens!!!
I want to find the writer and demand a re-write! Somehow it's very personal, like the writer destroyed my favourite character on purpose, just to hack me off!!!
Sooo obviously I don't want to be putting anyone reading my books through that experience!
On the plus side I'm really enjoying writing 'Severance', it's my Nana's and my cousin Bobby's favourite series, and they both keep telling me how excited they are for me to finish...
So there's no pressure then!!!
DeeDee xxx
D.D. Chant
Yesterday I made a start on the third book in my three book challenge. I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with writing the first fifteen to twenty thousand words of a new story. It is of course easier if it is the second in a series, and you're not introducing a new world, and new characters, to your readers from scratch. However the follow on books in a series come with their own problems.
First lets list the Pros:
1. I love the feeling I get when I open a brand new writing pad and set pen to paper.
2. I love knowing that in a few months time the book will be completely full of my handwriting.
3. I love that I know already the path that I want the story to take, but also know that the twists and turns that get me there are going to take me by surprise!
If it's the next book in the series then there are even more Pros:
4. Catching up with familiar characters. I love writing about characters I've already developed, when I started writing Broken Truce I could hear Deeta's voice in my head as though she'd never been away.
That sounded crazy, didn't it?!?!?
5. Revisiting a world you love. It is soooo much fun to pick up where you left off in the last book, and add more and more detail to a world that exists entirely in your head...
I'm back in to crazy territory, aren't I???
The Cons
1. Engaging the reader. I know that's pretty basic but it is SO HARD to set up the story, everything that's to come, and hook the readers interest at the same time. Information overload is a big risk at this point!
2. Don't rush! Another thing I really struggle with: as the writer I know what's coming, and I can't wait to start writing about it! Building up to the BIG scene, the one that hooks the reader completely, is sooo important.
If it's a book in a series:
3. Making sure your characters are the same. This one is the one that's giving me sleepless nights at the moment. We've all read that book, had our favourite characters and waited, oh so impatiently, for their book only to be disappointed when finally reading it. THIS isn't the character you love, sure they have the same name, live in the same world, and have the same friends as the character that you love. But that doesn't make them the same person!!!
I hate, hate, hate it when that happens!!!
I want to find the writer and demand a re-write! Somehow it's very personal, like the writer destroyed my favourite character on purpose, just to hack me off!!!
Sooo obviously I don't want to be putting anyone reading my books through that experience!
On the plus side I'm really enjoying writing 'Severance', it's my Nana's and my cousin Bobby's favourite series, and they both keep telling me how excited they are for me to finish...
So there's no pressure then!!!
DeeDee xxx
D.D. Chant
Wednesday, 31 July 2013
Oh. My. Goodness!!!
I am sooooooo excited right now!!!
For those of you who remember my 2013 self challenge to write the next books in all three of my series: I have news!!!
*Clears throat*
I have just finished 'The Vow', 2nd book in The Lady Quill Chronicles series!!!!
Yay!!!
'The Vow' is Finan's story but all the gang are back, along with some new faces. ;-P This book took me a little by surprise, there were a lot of twists and turns that I wasn't expecting. Finan proved a very hard hero to pin down, his bluntness and silence not making him the easiest romantic lead to write! In fact he fought me most of the way through the book, but in the end he did what I wanted him too, even if it was on his terms!
You get to see a different side to him: in 'The Promise' he is cool headed, very protective of Rafe and Leofric but some how a little remote. 'The Vow' shows you why he's like that, and you get a clearer idea of just how Evoric's death affected him.
I think that the character I had most fun with this time around was Daegmund, I have to admit to having a rather large soft spot for his brand of arrogant carelessness. He gets to say and do all the things that everyone else is thinking, but is FAR too polite to say! He and Rafe's sister, Aisly, dislike each other intensely on sight and I had a right giggle putting poor old Rafe in the middle of all their arguments!
Now I'm going to have a few days off before I start on the 3rd and final book of my challenge: Severance (Chronicles of Discord, 2#)
DeeDee xxx
For those of you who remember my 2013 self challenge to write the next books in all three of my series: I have news!!!
*Clears throat*
I have just finished 'The Vow', 2nd book in The Lady Quill Chronicles series!!!!
Yay!!!
'The Vow' is Finan's story but all the gang are back, along with some new faces. ;-P This book took me a little by surprise, there were a lot of twists and turns that I wasn't expecting. Finan proved a very hard hero to pin down, his bluntness and silence not making him the easiest romantic lead to write! In fact he fought me most of the way through the book, but in the end he did what I wanted him too, even if it was on his terms!
You get to see a different side to him: in 'The Promise' he is cool headed, very protective of Rafe and Leofric but some how a little remote. 'The Vow' shows you why he's like that, and you get a clearer idea of just how Evoric's death affected him.
I think that the character I had most fun with this time around was Daegmund, I have to admit to having a rather large soft spot for his brand of arrogant carelessness. He gets to say and do all the things that everyone else is thinking, but is FAR too polite to say! He and Rafe's sister, Aisly, dislike each other intensely on sight and I had a right giggle putting poor old Rafe in the middle of all their arguments!
Now I'm going to have a few days off before I start on the 3rd and final book of my challenge: Severance (Chronicles of Discord, 2#)
DeeDee xxx
Friday, 19 July 2013
Review: Vet on the Loose.
Vet on the Loose
Gillian Hick
I wanted to like this book.
I love James Herriot and was delighted by the prospect of finding his female counterpart. Unfortunately I just couldn't warm to Gillian Hick, it seemed to me that she had a perpetual axe to grind. Farmers were misogynistic idiots, pet owners were either bimbos who shouldn't have been let anywhere near an animal or just plain unpleasant.
While I understand that the 'lady vet' no doubt met a lot of rotten clients who should never have been able to look after another living thing, it seems strange to me that those were the cases she chose to write about. Surely there must have been some more upbeat stories she could have related??? It just seemed a little unbalanced; too much of the bad stuff that had happened and not enough of the good.
The whole 'when's the real vet coming?' gag was funny... for the first few stories, but it got old pretty quick. After a while it started to sound less like humour and a lot more like bitterness. Which again, I can understand, but it didn't make for fun reading.
The thing is that when you read James Herriot, however obnoxious the owner/farmer is being to him, James always paints himself in a ridiculous light. He's always inadvertently made a fool of himself in some way and THAT was why it's so funny. You feel for him because you know that he knows what he's talking about, it's just that something he's done is making him look silly. Like the story where he's trying to deliver a calf and the cow is in difficulties. Everything's going wrong, the farmers are losing patience: yet what is James worrying about??? The fact that he added and over generous helping of his landladies bath salts to his bath water, and now with all his exertion, he's giving off a strongly feminine scent!!!
You really feel for James Herriot, but you can't help but laugh at him just the same.
I never felt that with Gillian Hick. I didn't feel sorry for her: her stories were a thin layer of humour, that by the end of the book, had pealed away to show an underlying thread of resentment. Like I said, it's understandable, just not very entertaining. I kind of came away with the idea that she didn't really like her job at all.
Obviously this is all just my personal opinion and, like all opinions, it might be completely different to yours. So by all means, give the book a try. ;-D
Gillian Hick
I wanted to like this book.
I love James Herriot and was delighted by the prospect of finding his female counterpart. Unfortunately I just couldn't warm to Gillian Hick, it seemed to me that she had a perpetual axe to grind. Farmers were misogynistic idiots, pet owners were either bimbos who shouldn't have been let anywhere near an animal or just plain unpleasant.
While I understand that the 'lady vet' no doubt met a lot of rotten clients who should never have been able to look after another living thing, it seems strange to me that those were the cases she chose to write about. Surely there must have been some more upbeat stories she could have related??? It just seemed a little unbalanced; too much of the bad stuff that had happened and not enough of the good.
The whole 'when's the real vet coming?' gag was funny... for the first few stories, but it got old pretty quick. After a while it started to sound less like humour and a lot more like bitterness. Which again, I can understand, but it didn't make for fun reading.
The thing is that when you read James Herriot, however obnoxious the owner/farmer is being to him, James always paints himself in a ridiculous light. He's always inadvertently made a fool of himself in some way and THAT was why it's so funny. You feel for him because you know that he knows what he's talking about, it's just that something he's done is making him look silly. Like the story where he's trying to deliver a calf and the cow is in difficulties. Everything's going wrong, the farmers are losing patience: yet what is James worrying about??? The fact that he added and over generous helping of his landladies bath salts to his bath water, and now with all his exertion, he's giving off a strongly feminine scent!!!
You really feel for James Herriot, but you can't help but laugh at him just the same.
I never felt that with Gillian Hick. I didn't feel sorry for her: her stories were a thin layer of humour, that by the end of the book, had pealed away to show an underlying thread of resentment. Like I said, it's understandable, just not very entertaining. I kind of came away with the idea that she didn't really like her job at all.
Obviously this is all just my personal opinion and, like all opinions, it might be completely different to yours. So by all means, give the book a try. ;-D
Thursday, 18 July 2013
'Claire and the haircut of Doom' is FREE today!!!
Hi everyone!
So today is the day!!!
Claire and the haircut of Doom is free on Amazon, just click here to download! It is a 2962 word short story, the second in the 'Claire' series. Pretty please check it out??? ;-P
So today is the day!!!
Claire and the haircut of Doom is free on Amazon, just click here to download! It is a 2962 word short story, the second in the 'Claire' series. Pretty please check it out??? ;-P
Friday, 5 July 2013
I'm back!!!
Hello everyone!
Long time, no see!
I've been out of action with a pretty ghastly combination of the flu and tonsillitis, I'm only just starting to feel human again! That means I haven't been concentrating on The Vow as much as I would have liked. One the plus side I did get to watch a lot of Wimbledon! ;-P
So you may have noticed that I've added a new page to my blog!
Gentian is the name of mine and my sisters band, and you can find links to our music and download tracks for free from reverbnation. Please, please check the link below out and, if you like what you hear, fan us. Record labels are looking for artists with their own following, so every fan pushes us one step closer to our dream. Also it's only through word of mouth that our music is heard, so if you like our songs please share them with your friends. Thanks so much for listening. ;-D
Gentian's Reverbnation Page
Long time, no see!
I've been out of action with a pretty ghastly combination of the flu and tonsillitis, I'm only just starting to feel human again! That means I haven't been concentrating on The Vow as much as I would have liked. One the plus side I did get to watch a lot of Wimbledon! ;-P
So you may have noticed that I've added a new page to my blog!
Gentian is the name of mine and my sisters band, and you can find links to our music and download tracks for free from reverbnation. Please, please check the link below out and, if you like what you hear, fan us. Record labels are looking for artists with their own following, so every fan pushes us one step closer to our dream. Also it's only through word of mouth that our music is heard, so if you like our songs please share them with your friends. Thanks so much for listening. ;-D
Gentian's Reverbnation Page
Tuesday, 4 June 2013
Exciting News!!!
Okay, so you may or may not know that, as well as writing, I am one half of a band called Gentian.
Didn't know???
Well surprise!!! ;-P
My sister, Jingle, is the driving power behind the band, she's taken on all of the self promotion and publicity herself to give me time to concentrate on getting my books out there.
I have an awesome sister, don't I???
Well all her hard work is beginning to pay off! Our songs have been featured on a few radio stations and have received some great feedback. Today comes our biggest triumph (hopefully!!!) yet! We are doing a live session and interview on The Voice FM!!!
We're both really excited and terribly nervous at the same time. If you want to tune in and listen online, we go live at 7.30 PM UK time. The link to listen in is right here: The Voice FM.
Here's a link to Gentian's website: Gentian where you can find our songs, videos and check out what we're up to on the band's blog.
DD ;-D
Didn't know???
Well surprise!!! ;-P
My sister, Jingle, is the driving power behind the band, she's taken on all of the self promotion and publicity herself to give me time to concentrate on getting my books out there.
I have an awesome sister, don't I???
Well all her hard work is beginning to pay off! Our songs have been featured on a few radio stations and have received some great feedback. Today comes our biggest triumph (hopefully!!!) yet! We are doing a live session and interview on The Voice FM!!!
We're both really excited and terribly nervous at the same time. If you want to tune in and listen online, we go live at 7.30 PM UK time. The link to listen in is right here: The Voice FM.
Here's a link to Gentian's website: Gentian where you can find our songs, videos and check out what we're up to on the band's blog.
DD ;-D
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