Archive for the 'TV' Category

Kick Starting Things

Published on August 22, 2010 in Health, Interview, TV and Writing. 0 Comments

I have to admit, I’ve been a bad blogger recently. There has been so much going that this poor old blog has taken a bit of a beating. I’m going to do my best to get back here on a bit more of a regular basis. As a result, I’m going to try and have a few more regular features.

Yes, I know. But I promise I will!

Starting next week, I will be featuring interviews with authors, readers, reviews…pretty much anyone who wants to answer my silliness. :D I’ve also started a new exercise routine and (you poor people) will now get to hear all about my pain.

Of course, there will be the normal bits on my books, favorite TV shows and all that jazz. :D

Let’s have some fun people.

Where did she go?

Published on April 22, 2010 in Health, Mistress Rules, No Quarter and TV. 0 Comments

Hello everyone.

While I know people don’t wait on the edge of their seat for me to update my blog, I do like to make sure I pop in and keep you all apprised of what’s going on in Christine’s world.

On the health front…

I think some of you were aware that I was quite sick at the beginning of the year. The good news is that I’ve gotten significantly better since January. The bad new is that some of the damage to my lungs appears to be permanent. The doctors don’t think it will have a major impact on my quality of life, so I’ll just have to keep an eye on things.

On the writing front…

I was thrilled to have No Quarter release on March 31st. The response from the few people I’ve talked to has been positive. No reviews yet to share, but hopefully soon. Regardless, I was so happy with how that story turned out, I’ve decided to continue writing in that universe for a while. I’m already halfway done writing the sequel,  Letter of Marque, and I have plans for a third novel. I’m tentatively calling it, Pieced of Eight.

I’m also super excited to let you know that the final edits for Mistress Rules have gone out the door. I’m now waiting to hear on a release date and get my cover. This story went from being a 15k Quickie, to a 26k novella. The changes gave me the chance to really explore the relationships between the main characters and hopefully give you all a super sexy story. More information on the Mistress when I get it. :)

On the TV front…

Supernatural is breaking my heart. You just know things are going to get so bad for the boys in the next four episodes. I’m going to be a mess come the finale, I can tell already.

Fringe redeemed itself in my eyes with last week’s episode. It was great to see Peter Weller on the screen again, and the whole plot line with Walter was excellent. I can’t wait for the fallout tonight. :D

I missed Glee this week, but I hope to watch it tonight. I really need fluff in my life right now.

DOCTOR WHO!!! Okay, I had reservations about Matt Smith, I’ll admit it. But wow, what a great first episode. Amy comes across as a mix of Rose and Donna, which I love. I knew having Stephen Moffatt at the helm was going to be fantastic. I’m just glad he’s proving me right.

So that’s it for me. How are you all doing?

And just as things settle

Published on April 8, 2010 in Mistress Rules, No Quarter and TV. 6 Comments

I’ve been so overwhelmed by the kind words I’ve received from those who have read No Quarter, it’s hard to imagine I have to move on from the boys. To be honest, I miss them. How they became my favourite characters to write, I’m not sure, but they were.

For those of you who have asked, yes Mace’s story is coming! I’m about halfway through the first draft and with any luck will have it done in the next month. Then it will be edits, edits, edits to make it perfect. I’ve decided to give her two men to play with – Byron and Alec. The boys both have their issues and Mace is doing her best to fix them. Of course, she has a few concerns of her own, not the least of which is trying to find a cure for Faolan.

Did I mention he’s still sick…? Maybe even dying…

In the meantime, I have received my edits for Mistress Rules and am frantically typing away to get them done.

What do you mean you don’t know about Mistress Rules??

*head-desk*

See, the boys distracted me!

Mistress Rules is my first attempt at a menage. Not only that, my heroine is a fem dom named Stella. Really, you can see why I had to write this – her name alone demanded it! I have to say, it was a bit of a challenge for me to get into the head of all three of these characters. I’m so pleased with how things turned out. Right now I’m putting in a few tweaks to make the world building a bit stronger. I should have a cover and more information on a release date soon.

So both Mistress and Mace will have their day in the next few months. I’ll keep you all posted.

On a non-writing related front, OMG SUPERNATURAL!! Has this season been amazing or what? The last two episodes have damn near broken my heart. I can’t wait to see how they are going to wrap this up.

*does a snoopy dance*

Speaking of Henson

Published on February 25, 2010 in TV and Writing. 0 Comments

Funny how things pop up. I stumbled over this link on Twitter this morning. It’s a blog post from Sugith Varughese on the writing process Henson and the writers used on Fraggle Rock.

Seeing as I loved FR with all my heart as a kid, it is fascinating as an adult and a writer to get a glimpse into how they constructed each episode. I hope you enjoy.

You can read the post here.

It’s TV Time!

Published on September 10, 2009 in TV. 1 Comment

There is nothing better than that rush of excitement before the start of a new TV season. Ever since I was a kid, I adored September and the new influx of shows. Back then, you didn’t get a lot of cliffhangers, not like today. Still, it was like seeing my old school friends after the summer break. All my favourite character back to spend time with me.

I’ve been let down a few times by the return of a show. Some have taken turns that I didn’t like, that I wish they hadn’t, or were emotionally painful to watch. That’s good writing and good acting. And I love it!

Anyone who has followed my blog for any length of time knows that I’m passionate about my programs. I will talk your ear off about them and I make no apologies about it. This year will be no exception. :D

This season, I’m ready to watch my old friends again. I don’t have as much time for TV as I did when I was younger, but none the less I’m ready and committed to my shows!

So what will I be watching this year…

Supernatural

Lucifer is coming! Lucifer is coming! Starting its fifth season, I have to admit I came to this show late. Starting with the DVDs last fall, I quickly got caught up and hooked on the dark adventures of Dean and Sam.

The writing is amazing on this show. When they start down a path, they are not afraid to see things through to the gory conclusion (end of season three anyone??), while being true to the characters. I can’t wait to see what is in store for the boys next.

Fringe

I’ll be honest here, I watch this show for the relationship between Walter and Peter. What a brilliant set of characters, and amazingly acted as well. It’s nice to see the break from the norm – the crazy guy, while smart, isn’t always nice. The brash younger son, doesn’t always have the heart of gold mentality to him. People make mistakes as they try to navigate this twisted world where no one is what they seem.

Dexter

If you haven’t watched this show yet…don’t talk to me until you do. Seriously. Did I ever think in a million years I’d be cheering for a serial killer…no. Do I? Hell yes! The book will rock your world too.

Doctor Who

Okay, this one will be painful for me. David Tennant, my favourite Doctor since Tom Baker, is leaving the role after four years. The final two movies are airing before Christmas, and then Matt Smith will be taking over the role. This show is a link back to my childhood and I will forever adore it no matter who is flying the TARDIS. On a side note, I’m bouncing to see what Steven Moffatt will do with the show–brilliant writer that he is, this will prove to be a fun ride.

House

We left him in a bad place. I can’t wait to see if things are going to get worse before they get better. I hope they do, for no other reason that to see the fantastic Hugh Laurie play it up.

Edit: Dollhouse

How could I forget this show! It was a bit slow to start, but I was happy with the end of season one. I’ll be waiting to see what happens with Alpha.

Shows I want to see but haven’t yet

Flashpoint - Hubby is hooked on this. I need to get caught up
Leverage - Christian Kane is reason enough for me to watch it.
NCIS LA – Chis O’Donnel is reason enough for me to watch it. (pattern)

Shows I won’t be watching this year

Torchwood - After the heartache of season three, and the rumors that season 4 will be “Gwenwood”, I have no desire to watch further. They killed off my love of the show in more ways than one.

Criminal Minds – It was great…then it lost me. Not sure what happened there.

Whew. So that’s what’s on my plate. What are some of the shows you are looking forward to this year?

Writing and Waiting for Torchwood

Published on June 18, 2009 in TV and Writing. 0 Comments

This past week I’ve been slowly switching gears from editing mode to writing mode. I’m not one of those writers who can switch quickly, and really have to concentrate on what I’m doing when it comes to edits. I don’t want to miss things, and I swear I’m using another part of my brain. Probably am! I managed to get a little over a thousand words written yesterday, which was great. The only down side was the lack of production last night. Made the mistake of taking a muscle relaxer to help with some shoulder issues, and ended up stoned LOL! Now I know what not to do at least.

I really want to try and get a good chunk of this first draft done before July rolls around. The fangirl inside me is pacing furiously, waiting not so patiently for Torchwood: Children of Earth to start. Yes, yes, those of you who know me are laughing. I’m not patient when it comes to my shows, but in all fairness we’ve been waiting over a year for this.

Now who doesn’t want to watch that, eh?

First Round Edits…Done!

Published on June 11, 2009 in TV, The Bond That Saves Us and Writing. 0 Comments

Hello my friends! Yes, I have managed to resurface after hiding out for over a week now. I have been very busy digging through The Bond That Saves Us cleaning it up and making it sparkle for you. I think you will really like the end result. Things have been sent off to my fabulous editor, and now I sit (not so patiently) waiting for her comments. I promise to try and be on my blog a bit more now that my edits are well on their way to being finish. I find I need to immerse myself when I’m in that frame of mind, blocking everything else out.

Last night I sat down and jumped back in to my WIP. I really missed my girl Laurel and the fun I’m about to throw her into. I’m working on the third chapter, which for me is always an important one. By the end of it, I usually throw my main character a curve and see where she wants to take it. The biggest difference with this book, is that it’s not a romance. It’s fun exploring a character’s personal journey and not feeling the pressure to have her jump into bed with someone. It’s also a lot more challenging in several different ways–but I’m up for it!

This weekend I have my writer’s meeting, and I have to say I’m really looking forward to it. I really miss the connection with other writers and live for seeing these fantastic people once a month.

My other big goal for the weekend is to plant something in my front yard. My amazing husband took up all the grass in the space between the road and the sidewalk, covered it with the gardening mesh and red rocks. No more mowing the weeds! So to finish the look off, I need to stick some plants in and then walk away. I’m thinking hosta…we’ll have to see.

Oh! I have a new guilty pleasure…Smallville! Hubby and I are halfway through season one, and so far I like it. I’ve heard it gets pretty awesome in later seasons, so I think it will be our summer show. I never thought I’d be cheering for Lex Luthor, but there you have it. :D

Slipped Away…busy, busy, busy

Published on May 22, 2009 in TV, The Bond That Saves Us and Writing. 1 Comment

Hello my friends! Yes, I’m still alive. Yes, I’m still writing/editing. I’ve been working hard on my revisions to The Bond That Saves Us this week, and so far I’m very happy with the results. Right now, it’s looking like this will be the longest book in the Eternal Bond series. Mind you, Sean has earned a nice long redemption story, so it is only fair. :D

I’ll be spending a large portion of my weekend cleaning things up and getting them finished off for my editor. Once I’m done, I’m going to finish up a quick story I’ll be submitting to Ellora’s Cave free reads program. With any luck it will be accepted. After that, it’s back to my WIP which I’m really missing.

I’m already missing all my TV shows now that they’re done. I do have Torchwood series three and the next Doctor Who movie to look forward to, but there’s been no firm release date set yet. I’m hoping July for Torchwood is accurate. *sigh*

I hope everyone is well and things are chugging along nicely for you. How are things??

Can I go fangirl for a moment?

Published on May 8, 2009 in TV. 0 Comments

ZOMG I love Supernatural!!!!!!

*takes a breathe*

Please tell me if you lovely people are watching this show. If you’re not YOU NEED TO! Yes, the boys can be a bit emo…but they do it so well. As a writer, I really admire how well thought out they have plotted their story arc. The events of last night’s episode have been building for over a year now. Oh Sam! And Dean…breaks my heart.

One of my favorite aspects of the writing has to do with how solid the characterizations are. Like Battlestar Galactica was more of a drama in space than a sci-fi, SPN is more of a character study with the boys being thrust into increasingly tense situations. How would two brothers deal with being on opposite sides of a situation…in this case a war? It happens in reality all the time, and the writers on the show are exploring this theme (along with drug dependency and the impact on families) in a unique way.

I’m not going to mention specific, simply because I don’t want to ruin it for anyone who hasn’t seen it yet. But honestly, if you like paranormal stories or urban fantasy and aren’t watching this show, you are so missing out.

*fangirl mod off*

cw-supernatural-wallpaper-1024

Endings and Writing

Published on April 6, 2009 in TV and Writing. 1 Comment

Over the past month, I’ve been getting caught up on a few TV programs that I’ve had to let slip while I focused on my writing. Two of these shows are now done for good: Stargate: Atlantis and Battlestar Galatica. One of these shows ended brilliantly. The other didn’t.

Now I want to say that I adored both of these programs while they were one. The characters and plot lines were interesting, the acting was good, and generally kept me entertained. As a writer, I’m always curious to watch how other people carry arc stories, how they connect plots and pull everything together. Since this is something I do in my own writing, I’m always looking for other examples.

First, I want to say that BSG is a brilliant show. The ending was satisfying. The plot threads that they’d been laying out for four years finally came together. It made sense! I got excited when I realized the meaning of many of the images they’d built up. I actually cried at the end when we saw the aftermath/goodbye for the characters. Ron Moore knew what he wanted, but more importantly knew what the story needed. It’s one of the reasons I admire them for stopping a highly successful program when they did. The story didn’t need any longer.

Stargate: Atlantis? They’d spent four years building up a great arc with the Wraith. They had a kick ass villain in my opinion in Michael. And…I think they blew it. By the end of the last season, I no longer cared about the characters or what happened to them. There was one moment where I was impressed, but they snatched it away. As a viewer I felt cheated of a great emotional moment (no I won’t say what it was in case someone wants to see it). It was one of those book-against-wall moments…except I’m unwilling to throw my plasma screen. :D

This was a good lesson for me as a writer. Something that I’m reminding myself about as I’m working on edits for my current manuscript. If I make a promise of events, I damn well better follow it through. I also want to make sure I don’t cheat the reader out of any of the emotional aspects of my books. Yes, I may feel I’ve written myself into a corner, but then I need to be strong and figure a way out for my characters while still keeping the needs of the story in mind.

So thank you to BSG for four fantastic years! Very few shows make me cry…that ending was one of them.