If I've said it once, I'll say it again...
I'm not the romance type. I am, however, an action/horror junkie.
When I saw the preview for the movie 'Safe Haven', I have to admit, I was attracted to the story line (an abused woman, played by the uber sexy Julianne Hough, flees her explosive marriage and hides out in a sleepy east coast beach town, but is still haunted by the life she left behind and the inevitable discovery by the man who's chasing her) and I decided I'd give Nicholas Sparks a chance.
Mind you, the only Nicholas Sparks movie I've see is 'Dear John' and I was suckered into that one for the military-brat undertone that turned out to be more of a what I would call a punchline than a key plot point. I've never seen 'The Notebook', 'The Lucky One', 'Nights in Rodanthe', or 'The Last Song'. Those aren't my kinds of movies. They're not my thing even though I have a deep-seeded love for cinematic adventures.
For those of you who've read Evol, you'll know why I was drawn to the 'hide-and-seek' story line of 'Safe Haven'. Although I hated myself a little for doing it, I paid admission to see the latest Nicholas Sparks installment just last night.
On a side note, something I frequently get flack for going to the movies stag, which is what I did last night. I have a number of points to add to my side of the argument. First of all, my husband is one of the hardest people to go to the movie with because he's really picky and doesn't share my affinity for the hobby; he'll only see certain movies where as I'll see practically anything. Secondly, he's usually the one watching my son for me while I go. The movie theater in my town only shows one movie a week and plays one time a day. Sunday nights are ideal for me to sneak a flick into my agenda, especially since 'The Walking Dead' has an encore in case I miss the first airing of the new episode. Thirdly, movies are a horrible 'date' activity. You can't talk to the person you're with. Fourth point, I'm not ashamed. To all you stag movie-goers out there, stand up and be proud of your solitude. Sometimes, going to the movies is the only 'me' time I get so I relish in it.
Ok, back to 'Safe Haven'. Being the movie aficionado that I am, not much can get by me and this happens to be one of the reasons my husbands doesn't enjoy going to movies with me. I figure it out. I'll lean over and whisper sweet-nothings to him and give away too much of the movie and it annoys him. I can't help it. It's in my nature. If I come to the realization that the victim is actually the killer or that the flashback of the teddy bear signals to me that the little boy is the next target, I have to share it. I can't keep those kinds of epiphanies to myself. I figured out a great deal of 'Safe Haven' from the get go, though Mr. Sparks tries valiantly to veil the truth from the audience (to be honest, the trailer itself gives away a lot if you pay attention so I walked into the theater already knowing one of the movie's secrets).
Though the movie starts out with Hough's escape and an obsessed detective's near capture of her, setting a rapid pulse to the story, it quickly lulls when Hough meets the reluctant hero of the movie, Alex, played by the steamy Josh Duhamel. Hough uses a charter bus as her escape route and when it stops just outside Duhamel's rinky-dink shore side market, she falls in love with the scenic and quiet town, and decides to make shelter there; all very 'Sleeping with the Enemy'.
So the movie goes on with Hough finding a job at a seafood restaurant, her and Duhamel tip-toeing around their growing attraction like virtuous teenagers, and the detective's struggle to locate the missing Hough. The excitement of the detective's fieldwork and his seeming disregard for police procedure was enough to keep me in to the movie, but the nauseating flirtations by the two gorgeous main characters drug me down.
I will admit to anyone who asks, there were two parts of the movie that choked me up a bit, though no tears were actually shed. I don't want to spoil the movie, so not to give anything away all I will say is it was the cards that got me and the meaning behind them. Very sad and heart-wrenching.
What disappointed me the most in the movie was the anti-climactic ending, which culminated with a physical struggle between Hough and her past. Again, it's hard to say too much without giving anything away. The action junkie in me wanted to see so much more with that ending. Sure the mushy love stuff was cute, but it got old quick.
Like I'm trying to teach my son, try everything once. I can at least say I'm still giving chick-flicks a chance. None have yet to win me over. If you like Nicholas Sparks movies or books, I'm sure you'd enjoy this movie. If you're like me and would rather see wicked impressive chase scenes and explosions with random fire-fights and hand-to-hand combat, maybe a few blood sprays here and there, stay away from this one.
- Jess
Monday, March 11, 2013
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Evol Blog Tour
Whew!
It's been a long couple of weeks for me. I've been super busy at school and work and on top of that, my husband's basketball team made it to the state tournament (first time for the school since 1996) so we've been in preparation mode and traveling.
So my latest novel Evol has been on the Reading Addiction blog tour for 11 days now! I've received some raving reviews that are very humbling and very much appreciated. When people I know talk about my book, it's overwhelming to know it's being received well. It's even more satisfying to hear the same thing from complete strangers. BookRix has already given out $50 in gift cards with more chances to win, including, what I'm calling, the grand prize ($100 Amazon gift card, a collection of eBooks, and some sweet merch including an Evol t-shirt; enter to win at this link http://blog.bookrix.com/category/giveaways/).
This tour has me on such a high. This is exactly why I published the book to begin with; to get these kinds of reactions out of my readers. And to have the opportunity, to be chosen for this tour is even more exhilarating.
All of this talk of Evol has brought the characters to mind again, like reuniting with old friends and thoughts of a sequel have surfaced. I haven't quiet connected the dots for a plausible plot line, but it's brewing and there could be something there...
If you'd like to keep up with my tour, read the reviews, guest posts, and interviews, the link below will take you to the tour schedule.
https://sites.google.com/a/myaddictionisreading.com/2013/jess-wygle
Again, thank you to everyone who's following this blog, the blog tour, and my work. It's more than one little indie author could ask for!
More to come,
- Jess
It's been a long couple of weeks for me. I've been super busy at school and work and on top of that, my husband's basketball team made it to the state tournament (first time for the school since 1996) so we've been in preparation mode and traveling.
So my latest novel Evol has been on the Reading Addiction blog tour for 11 days now! I've received some raving reviews that are very humbling and very much appreciated. When people I know talk about my book, it's overwhelming to know it's being received well. It's even more satisfying to hear the same thing from complete strangers. BookRix has already given out $50 in gift cards with more chances to win, including, what I'm calling, the grand prize ($100 Amazon gift card, a collection of eBooks, and some sweet merch including an Evol t-shirt; enter to win at this link http://blog.bookrix.com/category/giveaways/).
This tour has me on such a high. This is exactly why I published the book to begin with; to get these kinds of reactions out of my readers. And to have the opportunity, to be chosen for this tour is even more exhilarating.
All of this talk of Evol has brought the characters to mind again, like reuniting with old friends and thoughts of a sequel have surfaced. I haven't quiet connected the dots for a plausible plot line, but it's brewing and there could be something there...
If you'd like to keep up with my tour, read the reviews, guest posts, and interviews, the link below will take you to the tour schedule.
https://sites.google.com/a/myaddictionisreading.com/2013/jess-wygle
Again, thank you to everyone who's following this blog, the blog tour, and my work. It's more than one little indie author could ask for!
More to come,
- Jess
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Room 219
On BookRix, there are frequently contests. I've participated in nearly each one since joining the community. Before Christmas, the Vigilant One Champion contest was announced. Anyone can enter, the story must be complete and no less than 5000 words, and each member can only have one entry. The title of champion comes with a $500 cash prize! Enticing!
Since December, I've struggled to get inspired for this contest. The only judge is BookRix member vigilantone and he's funding the winnings personally. He's the only person I have to impress and something about that made me excited. The more I think about it, though, it's not really a good thing.
The point of me sharing this with you is because of the story I finally entered into the contest and posted to my profile on BookRix. The story is called Room 219 and I consider it a controversial book.
More explanation is needed. I started writing this story in October of last year, but had to step away from the idea after the Aurora Colorado movie theater shooting. Can you see where this is going? I had developed an idea while sitting in my biology class about a week into the semester. I had been hearing a distant noise in the hallway as my professor was lecturing. It appeared to me that I was the only student in the class bothered by the sound, one I was having trouble identifying. The storyteller in me ran with this. I started imagining all the possible sources of the noise until I landed on one and thus, the foundation of my story was born.
It wasn't two days later I was doing research for the short. I was watching YouTube documentaries, interviews, and archived news broadcasts, and consulted wikipedia/google to find out the kinds of details I didn't find in the videos. After I heard out about the Aurora shooting, I found it to be a freaky coincidence and felt it would be 'too soon' to publish Room 219 so I stopped my research and the writing process.
Then Sandy Hook happened.
*inhale deeply*
The events at Columbine and Virginia Tech were tragic and senseless. I struggled, through my research, to comprehend the state of mind of those shooters, the turmoil and hardship they had to've lived through to push them that far. It's something I will never understand, no matter how many facts I see. It's a place mentally I can never take myself. That much I've accepted. What happened at Sandy Hook...I can't even being to wrap my mind around it.
My hands are shaking as I type.
I have never before been so emotionally disturbed by an event. You can say the fact that I'm a mother now has affected my reaction to the shooting. Whatever the case, I was deeply moved the day of the shooting and I still am.
There was a point in the day, a few short hours after I'd learned of the shooting, when I was flipping through photos on CNN. I saw a photo I will never forget. A woman, standing next to her car in a grassy ditch. She was on her cell phone and had just heard word that her someone she loved had died in the shooting. The look on her face was indescribable and haunting. So much despair; like the last tiny thread of hope she was dangling onto was severed.
That was it for me.
I close the internet, I stayed away from the news, I kept my eyes off the papers. I still find it hard today to see the faces of the victims. I've read books on serial killers and mass murders. I've written about rape and torture. I love horror and gore movies. I can stomach that kind of stuff. I'm that kind of person. Sandy Hook is on a different level and I just can't stomach it and I refuse to try.
So since Sandy Hook, the idea for Room 219 no longer seemed in the least bit appealing to me, yet, the Vigilant Contest still taunted me. When I exhausted a number of different story ideas, I revisited what I'd initially written for Room 219 and I finished the story. What drove me to write it, I'm not exactly sure.
After reading over what I had written, and I think I've read it five or six times since completing it two days ago, I fought with myself, whether or not I could use it; bring myself to publish it on BookRix. There had to be people out there just like me who couldn't stand the thought of another shooting, especially since there have two in my recollection since Sandy Hook.
The only explanation I have for the creation and completion of the story is this: Room 219 is a story of redemption. There's a hero. The shooters (there are 3 in my story) are all stopped by one of the students who retaliates against them, and they're all stopped without deadly force. Columbine, the shooters commit suicide. Virginia Tech, the shooter commits suicide. Sandy Hook, the shooter commits suicide. Room 219, the shooters meet the long arm of the law before they meet a self-induced bullet.
Though the story I've written is completely fiction, I still feel the slightest bit of closure knowing that the made-up shooters in my story are getting what they deserve and couldn't take the coward's way out. Though there was still death, there was closure.
http://www.bookrix.com/_title-en-jess-wygle-room-219
For those of you who can muster it, above is the link to Room 219. This story is not meant to offend or make a mockery. It's started out as a playful idea and grew into a sort of healing device.
Until next time,
- Jess
Since December, I've struggled to get inspired for this contest. The only judge is BookRix member vigilantone and he's funding the winnings personally. He's the only person I have to impress and something about that made me excited. The more I think about it, though, it's not really a good thing.
The point of me sharing this with you is because of the story I finally entered into the contest and posted to my profile on BookRix. The story is called Room 219 and I consider it a controversial book.
More explanation is needed. I started writing this story in October of last year, but had to step away from the idea after the Aurora Colorado movie theater shooting. Can you see where this is going? I had developed an idea while sitting in my biology class about a week into the semester. I had been hearing a distant noise in the hallway as my professor was lecturing. It appeared to me that I was the only student in the class bothered by the sound, one I was having trouble identifying. The storyteller in me ran with this. I started imagining all the possible sources of the noise until I landed on one and thus, the foundation of my story was born.
It wasn't two days later I was doing research for the short. I was watching YouTube documentaries, interviews, and archived news broadcasts, and consulted wikipedia/google to find out the kinds of details I didn't find in the videos. After I heard out about the Aurora shooting, I found it to be a freaky coincidence and felt it would be 'too soon' to publish Room 219 so I stopped my research and the writing process.
Then Sandy Hook happened.
*inhale deeply*
The events at Columbine and Virginia Tech were tragic and senseless. I struggled, through my research, to comprehend the state of mind of those shooters, the turmoil and hardship they had to've lived through to push them that far. It's something I will never understand, no matter how many facts I see. It's a place mentally I can never take myself. That much I've accepted. What happened at Sandy Hook...I can't even being to wrap my mind around it.
My hands are shaking as I type.
I have never before been so emotionally disturbed by an event. You can say the fact that I'm a mother now has affected my reaction to the shooting. Whatever the case, I was deeply moved the day of the shooting and I still am.
There was a point in the day, a few short hours after I'd learned of the shooting, when I was flipping through photos on CNN. I saw a photo I will never forget. A woman, standing next to her car in a grassy ditch. She was on her cell phone and had just heard word that her someone she loved had died in the shooting. The look on her face was indescribable and haunting. So much despair; like the last tiny thread of hope she was dangling onto was severed.
That was it for me.
I close the internet, I stayed away from the news, I kept my eyes off the papers. I still find it hard today to see the faces of the victims. I've read books on serial killers and mass murders. I've written about rape and torture. I love horror and gore movies. I can stomach that kind of stuff. I'm that kind of person. Sandy Hook is on a different level and I just can't stomach it and I refuse to try.
So since Sandy Hook, the idea for Room 219 no longer seemed in the least bit appealing to me, yet, the Vigilant Contest still taunted me. When I exhausted a number of different story ideas, I revisited what I'd initially written for Room 219 and I finished the story. What drove me to write it, I'm not exactly sure.
After reading over what I had written, and I think I've read it five or six times since completing it two days ago, I fought with myself, whether or not I could use it; bring myself to publish it on BookRix. There had to be people out there just like me who couldn't stand the thought of another shooting, especially since there have two in my recollection since Sandy Hook.
The only explanation I have for the creation and completion of the story is this: Room 219 is a story of redemption. There's a hero. The shooters (there are 3 in my story) are all stopped by one of the students who retaliates against them, and they're all stopped without deadly force. Columbine, the shooters commit suicide. Virginia Tech, the shooter commits suicide. Sandy Hook, the shooter commits suicide. Room 219, the shooters meet the long arm of the law before they meet a self-induced bullet.
Though the story I've written is completely fiction, I still feel the slightest bit of closure knowing that the made-up shooters in my story are getting what they deserve and couldn't take the coward's way out. Though there was still death, there was closure.
http://www.bookrix.com/_title-en-jess-wygle-room-219
For those of you who can muster it, above is the link to Room 219. This story is not meant to offend or make a mockery. It's started out as a playful idea and grew into a sort of healing device.
Until next time,
- Jess
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Blah Blah Blog
My book blog tour is kicking off in a few short weeks and I've already got over a dozen 'stops' scheduled. I went through and checked out the blogs and bloggers who'd be reviewing Evol and posting interviews or guest blogs (written by yours truly) and it made me question a few things.
Am I blogging the right way? Is there a rule book with proper blogging etiquette somewhere that you'd recommend I flip through? I feel like the blog I've started here is more of a diary, while the blogs Evol will be making an appearance on are specific; they have a structure and it's almost like they have their own set of rules. Do I need to tighten the reins on my blog...do I need rules of my own?
The next thing I realized is my book, my baby is going to be read by so many people and not everyone is going to like it. My friends and family have been giving me great praise for the book and in some ways, I feel like they have to say that. It's kind of like when my mom says I'm so pretty. I feel like she has to say it; if anything, she's bias...reviews from friends and family can be unreliable. I don't know if I'm ready for a bad review...
I was just reading a blog post about accepting bad reviews in a positive way. I think I will eventually come around to the criticisms of a bad review, if I get one, but it's that initial sting, the one that will knock me down a couple of notches, that's what I'm afraid of. Evol isn't for everyone. I always warn people it's not meant for anyone under 16 years of age and for good reason. I touch on hot-button topics like rape, abortion, and religion. When I say 'touch' on those topics, I mean lightly graze the surface; there's barely any contact. The book isn't centered around those topics, but it's enough that it could offend someone or leave a bad taste in someone else's mouth.
So for the next couple of weeks, I'll be preparing myself for the worst. If you'd like to follow my blog tour, you can find the dates and links at this page:
https://sites.google.com/a/myaddictionisreading.com/2013/jess-wygle
And through this page, you'll find links to Evol on Amazon and Kobo. Hopefully the book will be available on Barnes and Noble and the iTunes bookstore next week.
http://www.bookrix.com/_title-en-jess-wygle-evol
Parting is such sweet sorrow,
- Jess
Am I blogging the right way? Is there a rule book with proper blogging etiquette somewhere that you'd recommend I flip through? I feel like the blog I've started here is more of a diary, while the blogs Evol will be making an appearance on are specific; they have a structure and it's almost like they have their own set of rules. Do I need to tighten the reins on my blog...do I need rules of my own?
The next thing I realized is my book, my baby is going to be read by so many people and not everyone is going to like it. My friends and family have been giving me great praise for the book and in some ways, I feel like they have to say that. It's kind of like when my mom says I'm so pretty. I feel like she has to say it; if anything, she's bias...reviews from friends and family can be unreliable. I don't know if I'm ready for a bad review...
I was just reading a blog post about accepting bad reviews in a positive way. I think I will eventually come around to the criticisms of a bad review, if I get one, but it's that initial sting, the one that will knock me down a couple of notches, that's what I'm afraid of. Evol isn't for everyone. I always warn people it's not meant for anyone under 16 years of age and for good reason. I touch on hot-button topics like rape, abortion, and religion. When I say 'touch' on those topics, I mean lightly graze the surface; there's barely any contact. The book isn't centered around those topics, but it's enough that it could offend someone or leave a bad taste in someone else's mouth.
So for the next couple of weeks, I'll be preparing myself for the worst. If you'd like to follow my blog tour, you can find the dates and links at this page:
https://sites.google.com/a/myaddictionisreading.com/2013/jess-wygle
And through this page, you'll find links to Evol on Amazon and Kobo. Hopefully the book will be available on Barnes and Noble and the iTunes bookstore next week.
http://www.bookrix.com/_title-en-jess-wygle-evol
Parting is such sweet sorrow,
- Jess
Monday, February 4, 2013
Movies and Me
One of the most important things to know about me is I LOVE MOVIES! Obsessed is an understatement. We all have a loop of websites and applications we check weekly or daily. Mine includes IMDb.com and YouTube, where I subscribe to 'MovieclipsTRAILERS', who upload trailers both domestic and international as soon as they're released so I'm normally in-the-know when it comes to movies. I don't know what it is about movies that get me so hyped and I have to give them credit because I know they play a part in my love of writing and the child-like imagination I've carried with me into adulthood.
When I was younger, movies were a 'thing' at my house. It was a very cheap way to keep the whole family occupied. I remember many a Saturday, piling into the family Windstar and making the trip to Mr. Movies where old movies were only a buck each and I'm talking VHS movies. We'd get half a dozen movies and spend the whole weekend vegging on the couch. Paradise!
And don't even get me started on the theater-going experience, my favorite pastime. I live in a small town, but we do have a movie theater as well as a movie store. The Palace Theater has the cheapest movie tickets ANYWHERE! Regular 2D movies are only $3 and the newly upgraded 3D system only boasts a $4 ticket! $4 3D movie? Dare you to beat that. The only downfall of the Palace Theater is they only show one movie a week which plays once a day and that means that not every movie comes through our little town (but the owner makes a point to have all of the Best Picture nominations shown at the theater before the Oscars, thankfully). Aside from that, their box office opens an hour before the movie starts and you can buy 'seat savers' for $.50 each and save your seat in the theater before movie time! Ridiculous! The popcorn, best in the state, hands down. They use, wait for it, REAL butter (imagine Homer Simpson drooling and mumbling 'mmmmmm buuutttterrr', that's me right now)! Their concession prices are so affordable and they have a great selection. And I almost forgot to mention the brand new $35,000 seating that was recently installed in the theater. The theater doubles as a performing arts theater for locals. It's heaven for me. Absolute heaven.
Don't ask me what it is about actually going to the movies that gets me as excited as a four-year-old at Disneyland because I can't put my finger on it. I normally don't even care what movie I'm going to (my husband and I don't often agree on movies...they say opposites attract) as long as I'm going. I give everything a chance, include Adam Sandler's bomb, Zohan, which I fell asleep to and will never watch again. I gave it a chance.
Now, the reason for my post. My husband was such a doll and took me out for a movie date (thanks to the in-laws for watching little man for us). Jack Reacher was playing at the Palace and I've been itching to see it since I saw the first trailer. I've read a Jack Reacher book from Lee Childs' series. It was not the one they made the movie out of (Last Shot), and I can't remember which one I read because it was back in high school. There's something about reading a book that becomes a movie that's even more attractive to me. I have to see it, period. Yes, I read all the Harry Potter books when I was younger as well as the Twilight saga and saw all 13 of those movies in the theater. I've never read Hunger Games, but I did see the first movie (I've gotten mixed reviews on the second and third books in the series so I think I'll just see the movies).
Reading a book creates a relationship between me and the characters, mentally. I can see them in my mind. I can see the places depicted and the scenes played out in my head. When those fictional, made-up scenes in my mind become 'real' on the silver screen, I crave that affirmation of my own mental creations. I've never been disappointed in a book-to-movie transformation. I've been annoyed when certain parts of the book haven't been included in the movie, but that's about it.
Jack Reacher is not an exception. It doesn't matter how long it's been since I've read a book. I can remember the character I've created in my mind for any book I've read, like revisiting an old friend. I had an idea of who Jack Reacher was in my mind. Lee Childs writes him as a 6'5 military man and then the movie releases Tom Cruise as Reacher. *sigh* This is what I have a problem with. Kristen Stewart, as much as I dislike her acting, she was as close to perfect for Bella as you can get. Tom Cruise is not the Jack Reacher I imagined in my mind. Not a lot of people like Tom Cruise as an actor, but I have a soft spot for him. He's a maniac. He likes to do his own stunts and does those kinds of freakish adrenaline-packed activities (bungee jumping, snow boarding, and base jumping to name a few) in his free time and I think that reflects in the character when he's in an action film like Jack Reacher and the Mission Impossible franchise. He's type-cast as an action hero because he's good at that, and pretty much only that. He is a true badass, on and off screen, but he is nowhere near 6'5. That's a fail in my eyes.
Aside from that sad note, the best part of the movie is one of my Hollywood crushes was cast as the diabolical villain, orchestrating the trail of frames for Jack and the man he's trying to prove innocent. Jai Courtney played Charlie in the movie. You may be asking yourself, 'who the hell is Jai Courtney?' and I would have said the same thing if it hadn't been for Spartacus: Blood and Sand. Jai played Varro, Spartacus' bestie in the first (and best) season of the Starz show. Jai is also set to play Jack McClane along side veteran Bruce Willis in the latest installment to the Die Hard series, A Good Day to Die Hard. Other than that, Jai isn't well known, but I know who he is and I'm a fan.
But, I haven't been on YouTube all weekend so I need to get my fill of trailers yet this morning. Until next time,
- Jess
When I was younger, movies were a 'thing' at my house. It was a very cheap way to keep the whole family occupied. I remember many a Saturday, piling into the family Windstar and making the trip to Mr. Movies where old movies were only a buck each and I'm talking VHS movies. We'd get half a dozen movies and spend the whole weekend vegging on the couch. Paradise!
And don't even get me started on the theater-going experience, my favorite pastime. I live in a small town, but we do have a movie theater as well as a movie store. The Palace Theater has the cheapest movie tickets ANYWHERE! Regular 2D movies are only $3 and the newly upgraded 3D system only boasts a $4 ticket! $4 3D movie? Dare you to beat that. The only downfall of the Palace Theater is they only show one movie a week which plays once a day and that means that not every movie comes through our little town (but the owner makes a point to have all of the Best Picture nominations shown at the theater before the Oscars, thankfully). Aside from that, their box office opens an hour before the movie starts and you can buy 'seat savers' for $.50 each and save your seat in the theater before movie time! Ridiculous! The popcorn, best in the state, hands down. They use, wait for it, REAL butter (imagine Homer Simpson drooling and mumbling 'mmmmmm buuutttterrr', that's me right now)! Their concession prices are so affordable and they have a great selection. And I almost forgot to mention the brand new $35,000 seating that was recently installed in the theater. The theater doubles as a performing arts theater for locals. It's heaven for me. Absolute heaven.
Don't ask me what it is about actually going to the movies that gets me as excited as a four-year-old at Disneyland because I can't put my finger on it. I normally don't even care what movie I'm going to (my husband and I don't often agree on movies...they say opposites attract) as long as I'm going. I give everything a chance, include Adam Sandler's bomb, Zohan, which I fell asleep to and will never watch again. I gave it a chance.
Now, the reason for my post. My husband was such a doll and took me out for a movie date (thanks to the in-laws for watching little man for us). Jack Reacher was playing at the Palace and I've been itching to see it since I saw the first trailer. I've read a Jack Reacher book from Lee Childs' series. It was not the one they made the movie out of (Last Shot), and I can't remember which one I read because it was back in high school. There's something about reading a book that becomes a movie that's even more attractive to me. I have to see it, period. Yes, I read all the Harry Potter books when I was younger as well as the Twilight saga and saw all 13 of those movies in the theater. I've never read Hunger Games, but I did see the first movie (I've gotten mixed reviews on the second and third books in the series so I think I'll just see the movies).
Reading a book creates a relationship between me and the characters, mentally. I can see them in my mind. I can see the places depicted and the scenes played out in my head. When those fictional, made-up scenes in my mind become 'real' on the silver screen, I crave that affirmation of my own mental creations. I've never been disappointed in a book-to-movie transformation. I've been annoyed when certain parts of the book haven't been included in the movie, but that's about it.
Jack Reacher is not an exception. It doesn't matter how long it's been since I've read a book. I can remember the character I've created in my mind for any book I've read, like revisiting an old friend. I had an idea of who Jack Reacher was in my mind. Lee Childs writes him as a 6'5 military man and then the movie releases Tom Cruise as Reacher. *sigh* This is what I have a problem with. Kristen Stewart, as much as I dislike her acting, she was as close to perfect for Bella as you can get. Tom Cruise is not the Jack Reacher I imagined in my mind. Not a lot of people like Tom Cruise as an actor, but I have a soft spot for him. He's a maniac. He likes to do his own stunts and does those kinds of freakish adrenaline-packed activities (bungee jumping, snow boarding, and base jumping to name a few) in his free time and I think that reflects in the character when he's in an action film like Jack Reacher and the Mission Impossible franchise. He's type-cast as an action hero because he's good at that, and pretty much only that. He is a true badass, on and off screen, but he is nowhere near 6'5. That's a fail in my eyes.
Aside from that sad note, the best part of the movie is one of my Hollywood crushes was cast as the diabolical villain, orchestrating the trail of frames for Jack and the man he's trying to prove innocent. Jai Courtney played Charlie in the movie. You may be asking yourself, 'who the hell is Jai Courtney?' and I would have said the same thing if it hadn't been for Spartacus: Blood and Sand. Jai played Varro, Spartacus' bestie in the first (and best) season of the Starz show. Jai is also set to play Jack McClane along side veteran Bruce Willis in the latest installment to the Die Hard series, A Good Day to Die Hard. Other than that, Jai isn't well known, but I know who he is and I'm a fan.
But, I haven't been on YouTube all weekend so I need to get my fill of trailers yet this morning. Until next time,
- Jess
Friday, February 1, 2013
The Mad Beauty of Danielewski
I used to work with a fella by the name of Jeff Burns. Jeff and I had a lot in common. We both had an affinity for cinematic adventures, had the same taste in music, and we both liked to read and write in our free time. He introduced me to Mark Z. Danielewski while he was reading House of Leaves. If you've never read House of Leaves, I highly recommend it. I was intrigued by the Inception style of story line in the sense that it's kind of a story within a story with some extras at the end. Jeff was also telling me that there are supposedly codes embedded in the writing that people 'go crazy' trying to crack.
He had me sold and I went and picked up a copy of House of Leaves at Barnes and Noble shortly after. It really is a trippy psychological thriller. There were parts that gave me goosebumps and some that scared me, truly scared me, which has probably only happened to me twice in my life, getting frightened by a book (RL Stine did it to me once when I was a kid. Damn Goosebumps books!).
House of Leaves isn't for everyone though. I fell in love with it after reading it the first time (I've read it twice since) and passed it on to my dad, the authority on good books in my eyes. He just couldn't get into it, even though he and I share and enjoy the same books all the time.
So this year, hoping to get back into another juicy book during the holiday break, I invested in The Fifty Year Sword by Danielewski. If you've ever read a Danielewski book, you'd know he likes to use the page to add another dimension of madness to the book. Some pages may only have a few words on them, some have words backward, but only in a small insert in the middle of the page, on other pages, the words get smaller and smaller and smaller. Here is a look into House of Leaves:
He had me sold and I went and picked up a copy of House of Leaves at Barnes and Noble shortly after. It really is a trippy psychological thriller. There were parts that gave me goosebumps and some that scared me, truly scared me, which has probably only happened to me twice in my life, getting frightened by a book (RL Stine did it to me once when I was a kid. Damn Goosebumps books!).
House of Leaves isn't for everyone though. I fell in love with it after reading it the first time (I've read it twice since) and passed it on to my dad, the authority on good books in my eyes. He just couldn't get into it, even though he and I share and enjoy the same books all the time.
So this year, hoping to get back into another juicy book during the holiday break, I invested in The Fifty Year Sword by Danielewski. If you've ever read a Danielewski book, you'd know he likes to use the page to add another dimension of madness to the book. Some pages may only have a few words on them, some have words backward, but only in a small insert in the middle of the page, on other pages, the words get smaller and smaller and smaller. Here is a look into House of Leaves:
The Fifty Year Sword does the same thing. Danielewski only used the left page to tell this cryptic tale of a young, recently divorced woman who attends the 50th birthday of her ex's new lover, but rather than endure the birthday girl's torturous company, she sweeps away with the children and becomes audience to a haunting tale told by a hired storyteller to keep the children occupied during the party. The storyteller, with a mysterious black box at his side, weaves a tale, that seems meant for an older audience, of a dark time in his life when he lusted to kill and searched the world for the perfect weapon to do so. After tirelessly searching, he came across another man who made swords and each sword rained destruction differently. This is where the fifty year sword comes into play. The mysterious weapon-maker is vague with his description of that particular sword, but the storyteller knew it was the sword for him.
The rest, well I'm going to leave that for you to find out. Danielewski is brilliant with imagery and a poetic way of painting a picture. With The Fifty Year Sword, he has some help from the stitched pictures sewn into the book (not literally), some elegant, others crude and dark, all fitting. The book isn't the easiest of reads as, in Mr. Danielewski's usual form, the story line itself if 'cryptic' and can be difficult to decipher at times, at least for me it was, warranting an second read through, sometimes a third. But with all that set aside, it's a fast read, given the fact the the story is only told on the left page of the book and the pages aren't filled with words due to the spacing and indentations. It only took me about a day to read, thanks to the interruptions of motherhood. If I had been uninterrupted, I bet I could have pounded it out in about three hours.
Also, not that I've checked to see if it's available (some authors are worthy of space on my actual, real life bookshelf), I do not recommend reading anything by Danielewski in eBook form. I don't know if they're offered on Kindle or Nook, but even if they are, you need to get the actual book to sink yourself into the story completely!
Here is a look at the book. The orange is the book sleeve that, as you can see, has raised bumps on it, Braille-esque, but there is no rhyme or reason to the scatter of dots. When you peel back the sleeve, the hard binding is covered in a tangled mess of red string blossoms, which complements the stitched illustrations in the pages of the book.
Happy reading,
- Jess
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Pity Party: Table For One?
Do you ever have one of those days where you just feel down on yourself. The gunk in the air, a strange January thunderstorm may be to blame or it could be that I don't talk about it enough. I've been staring at this blog post, cursor hovering over the 'Publish' button, wondering if I'm over-exaggerating or opening a can of worms that I should just keep sealed, but then I wonder if there is a woman somewhere like me who needs to know she's not the only one. Maybe this can help. I warn you, I'm about to host a pity party. You're invited, but I'd understand if you didn't want to attend...there are no party poopers at a pity party.
For nearly two years, my husband, AJ and I have been trying to have our second child. I know some may read this and think, 'two years, big whoop'. I've spoken to women who tried to conceive their first child for four to nine years. My two years is a blink compared to that. Some couples are still trying and like my husband and I, struggle with infertility. In my mind, though it only took us about five months to conceive our first child, Landon, I figured it would take us just as long if not a little longer to have a second child. In my mind, it happened once. Why can't it happen again? What's the big deal?
After about 18 months, I was urged to see an infertility specialist by my physician. When you see an infertility specialist for the first time, you're basically entered into a pool of tests to go through. I had to have blood work done, twice. I had to have an ultrasound to check the consistency of my endometrial lining (the sides of the uteran wall) to ensure it was thick enough for an egg to attach. I also had an x-ray to see my fallopian tubes. Sometimes, woman who have c-sections, like I did (my son was 10lbs 2 ounces, 21 and three-quarters inches long when he was born...there as NO way I was pushing that beast out!), the fallopian tubes can get moved around, even pinched in the mix of things. The x-ray determined that the tubes weren't blocked in any way. I even took an at-home ovulation kit to ensure I had an LH surge (LH stands for lutenizing hormone. It's the hormone that signals the ovary to release an egg during ovulation...Human Biology...I paid close attention to the reproduction system unit). I came out looking good on ALL of the tests. I have good uteran lining, I ovulate, my tubes aren't blocked, and my thyroid was fine, according to my blood work.
Oh, did I forget to mention AJ's little swimmers were tested and they passed with flying colors too?
So again, what's the big deal?
The next step were the infertility treatments. They start off with a drug called Clomid which is a crap ton of estrogen in pill form. Estrogen is a hormone that signals the uteran lining to thicken in hopes of implantation of a fertilized egg. It also signals to the hypothalmus (the hormone control center of the brain) to increase the amount of LH being produced. So the affect of Clomid is more estrogen = a bigger LH surge = more than one egg is released during ovulation, increasing the odds of fertilization/implantation, but also increasing the odds of multiples (bet you didn't know you'd get a biology lesson when you decided to attend my pity party). So you take the Clomid for five days starting three days after the first day of your period. Then, you start your ovulation kit shortly after the Clomid is done. Most women ovulate on the 10th-14th day of their cycle, given the first day being the first day of your period. When the ovulation kit signals an LH surge, artificial insemination commences. They spin down the semen to help it reach maximum potential and then they take and very very very tiny tube and 'insert'? 'inject'? the semen in past the cervix.
Seems like a sure thing, right? You're ovulating, which means an egg is making it's way to the baby-making factory. The swimmers aren't deluded and can roam freely in search of the egg. What could go wrong when there's nothing wrong with either of us to begin with? Something obviously can go wrong because I'm still without child. What it is exactly that can go wrong, I have yet to find out.
So here we are, one round of insemination failed, another coming our way, but what happens if that doesn't work? Blow our savings on in-vitro which again, isn't a sure thing. It's more than frustrating when you know something is working right, but it's not working.
An old classmate of mine was blogging about her journey as a surrogate. She'd made plans to carry a child for a single male. They were implanting the fertilized eggs, but she wasn't getting pregnant. It wasn't working. So they did an ultra sound and it turned out she didn't have any uteran lining at all! Her and her husband had naturally conceived twin boys so they didn't think there would be any trouble with conceiving again. They're in the same boat as AJ and I. Secondary infertility. She was devastated. She'd met the man who's child she'd be carrying, they were all very excited about their journey, and then it was over before it even began.
I'm at the point where I'd be okay if I couldn't have another child. I'd get over it if I could never get pregnant again; if they told me it wasn't possible. Tell me what's wrong and why it went wrong and I'll wash my hands of it and move on, but when all signs to point to success and I only come up with failure, I go friggen crazy! Isn't that the definition of insanity, performing the same task over and over while expecting different results?
The thing I have the worst time getting over is finding out my friends, family, or acquaintances are getting pregnant. I know it's not fair to take out my frustrations out on a loved one during their time of excitement. It's not easy. It's not easy to watch someone celebrate what you're trying so hard to have. I feel like a bad person for resenting their happiness. I don't know how to get past it all.
I wrote a short story, semi-autobiographical laced with a bit of fiction, for a biggest fear contest on BookRix. No, I didn't win, but I sparked some interesting perspectives in the comments.
http://www.bookrix.com/showbooks.html?showbookonly=jesswygle_1344962396.9307610989
Anyway, I'm going to shut down this pity party. Hopefully, I'll be in a better mood next post.
- Jess
For nearly two years, my husband, AJ and I have been trying to have our second child. I know some may read this and think, 'two years, big whoop'. I've spoken to women who tried to conceive their first child for four to nine years. My two years is a blink compared to that. Some couples are still trying and like my husband and I, struggle with infertility. In my mind, though it only took us about five months to conceive our first child, Landon, I figured it would take us just as long if not a little longer to have a second child. In my mind, it happened once. Why can't it happen again? What's the big deal?
After about 18 months, I was urged to see an infertility specialist by my physician. When you see an infertility specialist for the first time, you're basically entered into a pool of tests to go through. I had to have blood work done, twice. I had to have an ultrasound to check the consistency of my endometrial lining (the sides of the uteran wall) to ensure it was thick enough for an egg to attach. I also had an x-ray to see my fallopian tubes. Sometimes, woman who have c-sections, like I did (my son was 10lbs 2 ounces, 21 and three-quarters inches long when he was born...there as NO way I was pushing that beast out!), the fallopian tubes can get moved around, even pinched in the mix of things. The x-ray determined that the tubes weren't blocked in any way. I even took an at-home ovulation kit to ensure I had an LH surge (LH stands for lutenizing hormone. It's the hormone that signals the ovary to release an egg during ovulation...Human Biology...I paid close attention to the reproduction system unit). I came out looking good on ALL of the tests. I have good uteran lining, I ovulate, my tubes aren't blocked, and my thyroid was fine, according to my blood work.
Oh, did I forget to mention AJ's little swimmers were tested and they passed with flying colors too?
So again, what's the big deal?
The next step were the infertility treatments. They start off with a drug called Clomid which is a crap ton of estrogen in pill form. Estrogen is a hormone that signals the uteran lining to thicken in hopes of implantation of a fertilized egg. It also signals to the hypothalmus (the hormone control center of the brain) to increase the amount of LH being produced. So the affect of Clomid is more estrogen = a bigger LH surge = more than one egg is released during ovulation, increasing the odds of fertilization/implantation, but also increasing the odds of multiples (bet you didn't know you'd get a biology lesson when you decided to attend my pity party). So you take the Clomid for five days starting three days after the first day of your period. Then, you start your ovulation kit shortly after the Clomid is done. Most women ovulate on the 10th-14th day of their cycle, given the first day being the first day of your period. When the ovulation kit signals an LH surge, artificial insemination commences. They spin down the semen to help it reach maximum potential and then they take and very very very tiny tube and 'insert'? 'inject'? the semen in past the cervix.
Seems like a sure thing, right? You're ovulating, which means an egg is making it's way to the baby-making factory. The swimmers aren't deluded and can roam freely in search of the egg. What could go wrong when there's nothing wrong with either of us to begin with? Something obviously can go wrong because I'm still without child. What it is exactly that can go wrong, I have yet to find out.
So here we are, one round of insemination failed, another coming our way, but what happens if that doesn't work? Blow our savings on in-vitro which again, isn't a sure thing. It's more than frustrating when you know something is working right, but it's not working.
An old classmate of mine was blogging about her journey as a surrogate. She'd made plans to carry a child for a single male. They were implanting the fertilized eggs, but she wasn't getting pregnant. It wasn't working. So they did an ultra sound and it turned out she didn't have any uteran lining at all! Her and her husband had naturally conceived twin boys so they didn't think there would be any trouble with conceiving again. They're in the same boat as AJ and I. Secondary infertility. She was devastated. She'd met the man who's child she'd be carrying, they were all very excited about their journey, and then it was over before it even began.
I'm at the point where I'd be okay if I couldn't have another child. I'd get over it if I could never get pregnant again; if they told me it wasn't possible. Tell me what's wrong and why it went wrong and I'll wash my hands of it and move on, but when all signs to point to success and I only come up with failure, I go friggen crazy! Isn't that the definition of insanity, performing the same task over and over while expecting different results?
The thing I have the worst time getting over is finding out my friends, family, or acquaintances are getting pregnant. I know it's not fair to take out my frustrations out on a loved one during their time of excitement. It's not easy. It's not easy to watch someone celebrate what you're trying so hard to have. I feel like a bad person for resenting their happiness. I don't know how to get past it all.
I wrote a short story, semi-autobiographical laced with a bit of fiction, for a biggest fear contest on BookRix. No, I didn't win, but I sparked some interesting perspectives in the comments.
http://www.bookrix.com/showbooks.html?showbookonly=jesswygle_1344962396.9307610989
Anyway, I'm going to shut down this pity party. Hopefully, I'll be in a better mood next post.
- Jess
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)