Talking About Books Tuesday...Crazy Cool, Tara Janzen

Another fast-paced fun ride from Janzen. This is the story of Christian “Superman” Hawkins, Steele Street agent and #2 in the chain of command. Years ago he’d been imprisoned for murder, and later freed when new evidence came to light. Now he’s been pulled from an undercover op in Columbia to be a bodyguard…to Katya Decker, the only woman he ever loved…and the woman who helped put him in jail when she wouldn’t speak up. But Kat’s got problems of her own, namely her mother, a powerful Congresswoman who shipped her daughter off to an institution in Paris so she couldn’t help out the street-smart kid she’d fallen for—Christian. When Christian and Kat get together again, sparks fly, and a murder decades old is brought back to the forefront. Who is framing Christian to take the fall (again), and why? Janzen is quickly becoming one of my must-buy authors with this addition to her “Crazy” series. I suggest you read Crazy Hot first because it explains the workings of Steele Street and introduces you to the ongoing subplot between “Kid” Chronopolis and Nikki, which is guaranteed to pluck at your heartstrings. Run out and pick this bad boy up, then settle in for the ride!

Movie/Music Monday…BB King and The Long Kiss Goodnight

Music: BB King, The Ultimate Collection – As you can probably tell from some of my previous posts, I like a pretty wide range of music, but BB King has got to be one of the greatest musical geniuses ever. The Ultimate Collection encompasses his career, from the early days in Memphis to the later years. As always, he strums Lucille to perfection, coaxing out unbelievable notes and soul. I got to see BB two years ago here in Oklahoma City, and it THE high point of my concert-going experience. If you love the blues, then to out and buy this one now!

Movie: The Long Kiss Goodnight—This is a movie where I wish I’d written the book! Geena Davis plays one of the few believable kick-ass heroines I’ve seen (besides Jennifer Gardiner in Alias and Sigourney Weaver in the first and second Alien movies). The plot centers around Sam, who is the quintessential small-town, cookie-baking mom, but one with no memory of her past. What she doesn’t know, and remembers in increments, is her former life as a government assassin. Samuel L. Jackson plays her sidekick to perfection (I fell in love with his acting skills in this movie), and the baddie, tho somewhat cheesy, is still chillingly cold. If you want some AWESOME action scenes and a storyline that not only arcs, but brings great satisfaction, pick up this oldie but goodie!

TV Show Thursday...How I Met Your Mother

Okay, so we don't watch a ton of network TV, but we have a guilty pleasure on Monday nights...so much so that August actually watched the show and flipped to Monday Night Football during the commercials!

That show is How I Met Your Mother. We watched it faithfully last year, so had to tune in this last Monday to see what happened. While a great, funny show, sometimes the whole relationship part grates on me...personally, I think they need lots more Barney (played hilariously by Neil Patrick Harris (us old fogies remember him as Doogie Howser).

Last year I walked around saying "That's steak sauce" (referring to A-1) for about a week before my friends smacked me in the noggin.

What's your guilty pleasure TV show?

What’s Going on with Me Wednesday

Well, I’m finally getting back into the swing of things when it comes to writing and overall life. I’ll always miss my Pop, but he wasn’t the kind of guy who’d want a lot of wailing and hand-wringing, so August and I went to Oregon and helped Kathy take care of what business we could, and began the process of closure.

I haven’t written a ton, but have been tossing ideas around a bit. I’m hoping to get a bit done this weekend, now that football has begun *g*.

Other than that, I’m just kinda hanging out. I’ve read a ton of books lately, so will definitely be posting reviews every week.

Talking About Books Tuesday...Every Which Way But Dead, Kim Harrison

What I’m reading now: Crazy for You Kate Angell

Every Which Way But Dead
Kim Harrison
I lucked out and got this as an Advance Reader Copy last year, but have been hanging onto it for when I just wanted to be completely consumed by a story. What a good call on my part! Harrison continues Rachel Morgan’s story, with the main thrust being Rachel’s relationship with Nick, her efforts to get out from under the demon, Al, and what the heck she’s gonna do with Ivy. Ripe with emotion, action and underworld intrigue, this is Harrison at her best. Pick this one up and prepare to be consumed!

Movie/Music Monday…Stone Temple Pilots and Codebreakers

Hi gang…I’m no officially back, and don’t have another scheduled trip for a month (hurrah!)

When it comes to music, this week I thought I’d talk about something older, and a group in general, rather than a particular album (tho I have my fave)

Music: Stone Temple Pilots—One of my favorite bands of all time, STP has everything I like in music…rockin’ guitar licks and damn good lyrics. Interstate Love Song off of the Purple album has got to be my all-time fave song, even if it is slower than their usual fare. I just love Scott Wyland’s voice, and it always bums me out when he ends up in the pokey or rehab because he can’t keep a needle out of his arm. His stint with the guys from Guns N Roses (Velvet Revolver) was fab…old GNR slammin’ guitar and fresh STP lyrics made this one a fun album to listen to. The thing that cracks me up the most is that just recently they were playing Wicked Garden on the tube to sell Nissan trucks…what’s the world coming to?? *VBG*

Movies: Codebreakers (ESPN)—This isn’t my usual fare, but August was watching it, and I was only being semi-productive writing, so tuned into that instead. The story of the cheating scandal at West Point in the fifties, Codebreakers deals with football, yes, but moreso, it addresses the concept of all military academies’ honor codes. The actors were heartbreakingly young , and most of you will recognize one of the kids from Home Improvement as one of the leads. This was a good movie about much more than football, and I encourage you to take a look when you might not otherwise.

Bill Brocious...RIP

Y'all know I've been absent for a bit...it was because my father, Bill, was diagnosed with terminal cancer. It moved from his lungs, to his brain, and finally to his bones.

He passed last night around 7 pm, and while my heart is bleeding, my head tells me that he's in a better place, where there's no pain.

He did many wonderful things over the course of his life, including enlisting in the Air Force during the Korean War, working for 20th Century Fox for over 30 years, and running a marina in Northern California. But the thing he was best at was being my Poppy...I love you, Daddy!

Talkin' 'bout books Tuesday...Seeing Red, Jill Shalvis

This book won the National Readers’ Choice Award this year, and for good reason! Alternating between taut and edgy and heartbreakingly poignant, this one starts out with a bang and never lets up! As a teenager, Summer lost her father in a fire that she and her best friend Joe almost died in as well. She’s been running ever since, keeping herself distanced from her family for years by acting as a tour guide for hikes, whitewater rafting, all things nature-inspired. When a second fire damages the family warehouse, she comes back to San Diego to help her mom with the paperwork. Imagine her surprise when the arson investigator in charge is Joe, and he’s nothing like the pudgy boy he befriended all those years ago. I loved this book, and not because both Shalvis and I wrote about San Diego’s MAST (Metro Arson Strike Team) at the same time. Pick this one up, you won’t be disappointed.

Oh, and by the by...she was my newsletter victim...ahem, I mean interviewee this month *g*, so if you haven't signed up...why???? You could've won a ten buck gift certificate to Amazon AND got to meet Jill!

Movie/Music Monday…Gnarles Barkley and National Treasure

To start with, happy Labor Day, for those of you here in the U.S.!

Music: Gnarles Barkley, St Elsewhere -- We bought Gnarles Barkley’s St Elsewhere when we were on the road in San Diego because we loved the song Crazy that’s getting a ton of airplay. This album is weird, but I really like it. Crazy is the best song on the album when it comes to what you’ll hear on the radio, because the rest of St Elsewhere is probably too funky for most radio stations. A mix of funk, blues and rap, Barkley combines all three into a whirling medley that can be a little discombobulating on first listen. But after that, I quickly picked my favorite tracks (Crazy, The Boogie Monster and Gone Daddy Gone). August liked Just a Thought, which kinda surprised me, since he’s more into Sinatra and Tom Jones. All in all, this was well worth the moola we shelled out for it, but may not appeal to more mainstream listeners.

Movies: National Treasure—what more do I need to say than Nicholas Cage and Sean Bean? Talk about making me a happy girl! This was a fabuloso flick, never mind the serious eye candy, this movie takes on the concept that the Freemasons hid a treasure beyond imagining back in the time of our founding fathers. Cage plays Ben Gates, who comes from a long line of treasure seekers, and has what is their first real clue since the United States became a country. This is a thinking man’s (or woman’s) thriller, you pick up some pretty damned cool bits of history, as well as zooming from places like the National Archives in Washington DC to Philadelphia to the flight deck of the USS Intrepid to Wall Street. This is a Disney flick, so there’s no cursing or sex, which makes it suitable for both adults and kids alike. I’ve seen this movie about a gazillion times, and every single time I love it!

Checking back in…

Hey gang, well, I’m back at home/work now after an extended absence due to a family gig. While I was gone I read a buttload of books *g*, so I’ll definitely be keeping you entertained for quite a few weeks on Tuesdays! LOL. I’ll start my regularly scheduled programming next week, and give myself a chance to completely catch up on my writing and such.

I will say that we had a FAB time in southern Oregon with my Dad, northern California with my Mom and in San Diego with August’s relatives. Got to eat waaaaay too much seafood up north and drink waaaay too much beer down south *g*!! We went to Petco Park and watched my San Francisco Giants beat the San Diego Padres, and I didn’t even get wailed on by the fans.

One thing I adore about Oklahoma versus California is the total lack of traffic. Not having been back for a few years, I’d forgotten how hellish it is trying to get from one place to another, and the housing prices…don’t even get me started!

Anyway, that’s it for me, at least for today, and I’ll talk atcha all on Monday about movies and music!

Terri/Keira