Cassandra Dean's Blog: Blog of Bloggy Blogness, page 16

Have you been watching…Hannibal

My love of TV + my blog = Awesome fun sharing times.

Enjoy the shows I think are The Shizz

 

Hannibal

 

One of my very favourite movies is Silence of the Lambs. I remember going to see it at the movies as a teen with my family and immediately I was entranced by Clarice Starling and her determination to find the serial killer, Buffalo Bill. Clarice was so determined that she sought the counsel of the terrifying, though incarcerated, sociopath Hannibal Lecter. As played by Anthony Hopkins, Hannibal Lecter was a larger than life character, a charmingly slimy gentleman of a monster. After seeing the movie, I bought the Thomas Harris novel it was based upon and found it unputdownable.

Upon learning there was a previous book featuring Hannibal, I bought Red Dragon and devoured (heh) the tale of Will Graham and the serial killer, the Tooth Fairy. I watched Manhunter, the first adaptation of Red Dragon. I didn’t love it, but it was an entertaining enough movie. Then, Red Dragon the movie came out in 2002, featuring Anthony Hopkins reprising the role of Hannibal. It was kinda crap.

Which leads us all to the new television show, Hannibal. A few months ago, I heard Bryan Fuller, one of my fave writers of the TV, was taking on this iconic character. I was unsure what to expect. I hoped for the best, but expected the worst. After all, I hadn’t been impressed by other adaptations of the earlier exploits of Hannibal Lecter.

I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Hannibal is an outstanding show. Gorgeously shot, beautifully macabre, and wonderfully psychological, I’m thoroughly enjoying this latest addition to the Hannibal mythology. Set before anyone knows of Hannibal’s murderous tendencies, Hannibal follows FBI profiler Will Graham, an empathetic man with a tenuous grasp on his sanity, and his budding friendship/dependence upon Dr. Hannibal Lector. Hugh Dancy is wonderful fragile as Will Graham, showing a character who displays the indicators of borderline Aspergers. Mads Mikkelsen as the titular Hannibal is outstanding. His performance is outstandingly restrained, and yet it seems at any moment Hannibal will do something truly horrific.

However, peeps, please keep in mind this is not a show for the squeamish. Though the terrible deaths are treated with sensitivity, they are awful to behold.

If you’re looking for a network television show that is a kind of procedural but with a truly psychological bent, then Hannibal is for you.

 

 

You can check out Hannibal at:

the Website ~ Amazon.com ~ IMDb

 

 

 

Hump Day Hook #humphook #historicalromance

Welcome to Hump Day Hook, a weekly list of authors showcasing their work around the Internets. A big thanks to the wonderful peeps at Hump Day Hook for making this possible.

This week, it’s a special giveaway hook! As book 1 in The Silk Series, SILK & SCANDAL, is coming out next week (OMG!), that’s the lucky little duck that’s being featured. Check out the giveaway below, but first the hook:

 

Clearly, he needed help and, knowing Thomas, he would not ask. Making her way to his side of the desk, she stopped beside him. Without comment, he watched her, back still rigorously straight.

Hesitantly, she lifted her hand and smoothed her fingers through his hair.

He flinched.

Instantly, she froze. She would not force him to accept her comfort, and she would not be the cause of any more distress.

Closing his eyes, he leaned into her touch. Just a bit. Just enough to accept her comfort.

Wishing she’d had the forethought to remove her gloves, she stroked the bright blond strands. “Thomas, what ails you?”

Tension bunched his shoulders. “Nic, you shouldn’t be here.”

“Always it’s ‘Nic, you shouldn’t be here.’ Well, I am here, Thomas, and it is plain something troubles you.” Hidden in the folds of her skirt, her hand tightened to a fist even as she kept the other stroking a soothing rhythm. “Please. Tell me.”

 

Learn MORE about SILK & SCANDAL here

 

 

And now, the contest#!

Sign up for my newsletter, leave a comment below with your email address after you’ve done so, and you’ll go in the running to win!

One lucky subscriber will win a signed SILK & SCANDAL postcard, and a SILK & SCANDAL magnet. International entries are welcome – if Australia Post can reach your country, you can enter!

 

Visit Hump Day Hook and discover more wonderful authors, and this week, other fantastic giveaways!

 

 

=====================================================================

# The small print: Comment before midnight on 9 May 2013 (Australian Central Standard Time) to be entered to win one (1) signed SILK & SCANDAL postcard and one (1) SILK & SCANDAL magnet. Winner will be selected via random.org, with winner’s name posted on this blog within three days of the close of the giveaway. Cassandra will also contact the winner by e-mail; the winner will be required to reply with their postal address so Cassandra can send the prize to them.

Only one entry per ISP address. Entrants must be over 18 years of age. By entering, you agree Cassandra can use your name when announcing the winner if you should win. If potential prize winner forfeits or does not claim the prize, prize will be re-awarded, in Sponsor’s sole discretion. All prizes will be awarded. International entries are welcome. No purchase necessary to enter. Odds of winning depend on number of entries received. Void where prohibited by law.

 

 

  

SILK & SCANDAL Excerpt #reveal #historical #romance

Peeps! In a week, SILK & SCANDAL is released! Super exciting fun times wow!

To celebrate, here’s the official excerpt! Enjoy!

 

THE SILK SERIES, BOOK 1

Eight years ago…

Thomas Cartwright and Lady Nicola Fitzgibbons were friends. Over the wall separating their homes, Thomas and Nicola talked of all things – his studies to become a barrister, her frustrations with a lady’s limitations.

All things end.

When her diplomat father gains a post in Hong Kong, Nicola must follow. Bored and alone, she falls into scandal. Mired in his studies of the law and aware of the need for circumspection, Thomas feels forced to sever their ties.

But now Lady Nicola is back…and she won’t let him ignore her.

 



 

~ Excerpt ~

Thomas took a breath, knowing he had to phrase this just right. “Lady Nicola, while I am cognizant of the honor you do me, I don’t believe it appropriate you visit me in my chambers. Shall we arrange a time that suits us both, perhaps for a walk about the park?”

China-blue eyes laughed at him. “Oh, pish. Don’t be such a fuddy-duddy, Thomas. We never stood on such ceremony before.”

Didn’t she know he couldn’t be her friend? Not since their ways had parted and she’d become who she was, while he had become who he was. “Our situations were different before, Lady Nicola. It is not appropriate for a lady of your standing to visit a bachelor in his chambers.”

“Who is going to comment? No one knows I’m here.”

Was she serious? “My clerk knows you’re here. By now, the senior clerk undoubtedly knows you’re here. Before ten minutes have passed, everyone in the building will know you’re here.”

“Well, then, they are a bunch of shocking gossips, and I should not like to know them any better.” She folded her hands in her lap.

“Not the point, Nicola.” Bloody hell, but she drove him mental. She tore at him and picked at him until he didn’t know where he stood. Always she’d done this, taken what little sense he had and driven it right out of his brain.

“I should say it is the point. Our visit would not distress you, if it weren’t for them.”

“It should distress me in any case. You should not be here.”

“Do you know what I’m hearing, Thomas? I’m hearing a vast amount of negativity, when you’ve not even greeted me properly. Why, you’ve yet to kiss my hand, or perhaps give me a h-hug.” Chin up, she looked at him with eyes brimming, and he saw right through her facade. She was truly hurt he’d not yet greeted her as he should.

Helpless, he stared at her. How did she do it? How did she turn his brain to mush? She’d been here less than five minutes, and already she had drawn him back in.

But she was right. He hadn’t greeted her as he should.

Standing, he went to her and drew her to her feet. “Welcome home, Nic.” And he hugged her.

 

 

 

Cassandra the Brat

***WARNING***

About to be bratty/display disproportionate anger about an extremely inconsequential thing – Agent Coulson, The Avengers and the upcoming S.H.I.E.L.D TV show. Please look from this if such things disturb you and know I don’t think ill of you. If I could, I’d look away too.

ALSO ***SPOILERS***

Hokay. Peeps in the media are talking about the return of Agent Coulson in the upcoming Avengers spin-off tv show, S.H.I.E.L.D. They are marvelling (heh) at how this character could possibly return after the events of The Avengers. Recently, it was reported that the explanation was Coulson never died and Nick Fury was just being his twisty, untruthfuly self.

To which I say – DUH! Did no one watch the same movie I did? When Coulson allegedly carked it, absolutely NO TIME was spent on it. This is not how you say farewell to a character, especially in Joss land (see Serenity). No matter how sudden a death, the characters and the audience have to be given a time to mourn. If you aren’t given this time, then the character will pop up at a later date. Writing 101 peeps – also, Horror 101, of which I am a fan (and so is Joss, if The Cabin in the Woods is anything to go by).

Also, immediately after Coulson ‘died’ in front of Fury, two paramedics rushed to his aid in the background of the shot. Why? This is a movie. Everything that’s there is there for a reason – apart from the airplane in Blazing Saddles

I think Loki stabbed Coulson, severely injuring him. Fury knew the Avengers were splitting apart, so seized the opportunity to give them a common enemy. Coulson survived his wounds (people have survived stabs to the stomach before in history, peeps) and thus, the TV show can be set AFTER The Avengers and feature Coulson.

There. Bratty whine over. Please resume your regular Sunday afternoon activities

 

 

 

Have you been watching…Vikings

My love of TV + my blog = Awesome fun sharing times.

Enjoy the shows I think are The Shizz

 

Vikings

 

Peeps, have you seen Vikings? It’s pretty fricking nifty.

I first started watching it after seeing all the chatter on the facebooks and the twitterers. People seemed to think this Vikings show was a pretty decent watch, and what’s more it was a production of the History Channel. Well, I thought to myself, self, that is weirdness. Let us watch and determine for ourselves. And so, we did. I did. Whatevs.

It was really good.

Because I can’t come up with a better description, here’s how The History Channel describes it: Vikings follows the adventures of Ragnar Lothbrok the greatest hero of his age. The series tells the sagas of Ragnar’s band of Viking brothers and his family, as he rises to become King of the Viking tribes. As well as being a fearless warrior, Ragnar embodies the Norse traditions of devotion to the gods, legend has it that he was a direct descendant of Odin, the god of war and warriors.

It reminds me of Spartacus for some reason, even though it doesn’t have the high melodrama of that beloved show. Maybe it’s because Vikings is clearly not filmed in the US, has an Australian actor as the lead, and the actors do a (mostly) admirable job of speaking with a vaguely Norse accent, though I did catch Travis Fimmel’s Oz accent on one word in the latest ep – brought joy to my heart, it did

The visuals are stunning. Filmed in Ireland, there’s a real sense of otherworldness brought to the shebang by the outstanding locations. The costumes, make up and hair is phenom, and the props and set design seems amazingly authentic.

The writing is also pretty nifty. While there are some stock characters (Ragnar’s brother Rollo has yet to evolve beyond the ‘oh my, I am jealous of my more successful brother and seek to undermine him in a myriad of ways’), Ragnar himself, his battlemaid wife Lagertha, the manic and unpredictable Floki and to a certain extent English monk-turned-prisoner-turned-Viking convert Athelstan are extremely well-drawn characters. Time is compressed in an awesomely no-nonsense way, with months passing with an ad break. The story moves at a fast clip, and it’s truly unpredictable. Also, the action scenes are outstanding.

BTW, peeps Travis Fimmel? Yeah. He’s this guy:

Crazy, no? I actually prefer how he looks in Vikings. Am I weird for saying that??

You can check out Vikings at:
the Website ~ Amazon.com ~ IMDb

 

 

 

Hump Day Hook #humphook

Welcome to Hump Day Hook, a weekly list of authors showcasing their work around the Internets. A big thanks to the wonderful peeps at Hump Day Hook for making this possible.

For this Hook, I’m featuring book 1 in The Silk Series, SILK & SCANDAL. Part of the brand new Decadent TEASE, SILK & SCANDAL will be out on 8 May! Not long now

 

Leaning over, she brushed his cheek with a kiss.

A teasing cloud of violet-lavender surrounded him. Closing his eyes, he couldn’t help but savor the feel of her lips clinging to his skin, soft and sweet as her scent wound itself around him.

Then, she was gone.

 

 

 

 

Learn MORE about SILK & SCANDAL here

 

Visit Hump Day Hook and discover more wonderful authors!

 

 

 

ENSLAVED on #sale for $1.99 #cheap #ebook

Right now, ENSLAVED is on sale for $1.99! How cool, right? Make sure you hop to it, peeps, as it’s for a limited time only

 



 

I was to teach a slave.

Marcus, a gladiator in my father’s ludus, was compelled to my presence to learn of Rome’s gods, her legends. When first he came, fear consumed me – fear of this silent, resentful slave who burned with his anger.

Time, though, changes much. Marcus softened and I grew unafraid. As we became closer, I grew more than merely unafraid – I grew to love him. Never did I think we would be separated.

I was wrong.

 


Available NOW for $1.99 from:

Decadent Publishing

Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

All Romance eBooks

 

  

The Magic Touch Hop: give away

 

This Hop is hosted by author Kallysten and book blog Riverina Romantics.

In addition to individual prizes provided on each blog, they are offering assorted swag to the first 100 participants who simply tell them they wantsome!
See all details and sign up here.

 

 

 

 

Hey peeps!

Welcome to the Magic Touch Hop! Big thanks go to Riverina Romantics for hosting.

Magic is so wonderful, isn’t it? I do love my fantasy tales, those ones that have a humble hero who is revealed to be a creature wreathed in magic and prophecy, destined to change the world order and defeat the Evil Foe. *sigh* So much fun, amirite?

One of my favourite series when I was growing up was The Belgariad, The Mallorean and The Elenium by David and Leigh Eddings. The Eddings’s were amazing storytellers, cementing my love of epic fantasy at a young age. Of course, this has now crystalised into my love of Game of Thrones.

Another magical tale I adored as a teen was Labyrinth. A female hero, a seductive villain, friendship and turmoil and trials (and one REALLY pretty dress), Labyrinth seemed as if it was tailor-made for me. I loved watching Sarah’s adventures as she struggled to rescue the baby brother she had been jealous of, as she found the strength of will and the courage she always possessed to defeat the Goblin King. Plus, songs and puppets! In fact, Labyrinth has so inspired me I have an idea for a story about a Labyrinth with a dark castle at its centre…

And now in a segue that makes no sense whatsoever, my upcoming release! SILK & SCANDAL is magical only in the sense that the story came together with very little effort from me – Thomas and Nicola leapt almost fully formed into my head and it was an absolute joy to write their story.

I hope you enjoyed my contribution to the Magic Touch Hop, peeps! Make sure you visit everyone else on the tour, and enter the giveaway below!

 

THE SILK SERIES, BOOK 1

Eight years ago…

Thomas Cartwright and Lady Nicola Fitzgibbons were friends. Over the wall separating their homes, Thomas and Nicola talked of all things – his studies to become a barrister, her frustrations with a lady’s limitations.

All things end.

When her diplomat father gains a post in Hong Kong, Nicola must follow. Bored and alone, she falls into scandal. Mired in his studies of the law and aware of the need for circumspection, Thomas feels forced to sever their ties.

But now Lady Nicola is back…and she won’t let him ignore her.

 

 

And now, the contest#!

Sign up for my newsletter, leave a comment below with your email address after you’ve done so, and you’ll go in the running to win!

One lucky subscriber will win a USD$5 Amazon.com Gift Card, as well as a signed SILK & SCANDAL postcard, and a SILK & SCANDAL magnet. International entries are welcome – if Australia Post can reach your country, you can enter!

 

 

=====================================================================

# The small print: Comment before midnight on 1 May 2013 (Australian Central Standard Time) to be entered to win a USD$5 Amazon.com Gift Card, one (1) signed SILK & SCANDAL postcard and one (1) SILK & SCANDAL magnet. Winner will be selected via random.org, with winner’s name posted on this blog within three days of the close of the giveaway. Cassandra will also contact the winner by e-mail; the winner will be required to reply with their postal address so Cassandra can send the prize to them.

Only one entry per ISP address. Entrants must be over 18 years of age. By entering, you agree Cassandra can use your name when announcing the winner if you should win. If potential prize winner forfeits or does not claim the prize, prize will be re-awarded, in Sponsor’s sole discretion. All prizes will be awarded. International entries are welcome. No purchase necessary to enter. Odds of winning depend on number of entries received. Void where prohibited by law.

 

 

 

Have you been watching…FarScape

My love of TV + my blog = Awesome fun sharing times.

Enjoy the shows I think are The Shizz

 

FarScape

 

What? I know FarScape finished over ten years ago. What of it?? It’s still a brill show you should totally be watching!

FarScape is the tale of astronaut and scientist John Crichton, who launches into space from Cape Canaveral on a craft he designed, FarScape1, to prove a theory about astrodynamicpropulsionthingymajig. He proves his theory, but what he doesn’t anticipate is his actions create a wormhole…a wormhole he’s sucked into. Suddenly, he’s lost across the universe, in a weird galaxy filled with strange alien creatures. Rescued by the prison ship Moya, crewed by escape convicts, he travels with them searching for a way home.

Man, this doesn’t even begin to describe the awesome. The characters are nuanced and realistic, without any rahrah gung ho crazy times. Crichton is a stranger in a strange land and he has no frakking clue what’s going on…and he’s not afraid to admit this. The alien characters have little patience with this human, who they deem as inferior and unsophisticated.

And there are puppets. PUPPETS. Jim Hensen’s Creature Shop made the prosthetics for the human actors and the amazingly realistic puppets for the, um, puppet actors. You completely forget you’re watching puppets and they simply become fully realised, three-dimensional characters.

FarScape also has one of the best love stories EVA. Crichton falls for Aeryn, a Peacekeeper closely related to humans, and she falls for him. Their love is fierce and epic and fantastic. The episode where Aeryn is kidnapped and prays to a destoryer god for her release, knowing ‘he’ will come for her is just so fricking romantic, in a weird Cassandra-likes-the-dark-and-epic-love way.

Did I mention it was filmed in Sydney? Cos it was. It’s so strange to see all these Australian actors pop up in the show, not to mention Australian locations. I mean, Sydney beaches are featured! VB is drunk! Gum trees are spotted! It’s cray cray, peeps.

FarScape also has the distinction of being the very first TV series I purchased on DVD, many moons ago when it was RIDICULOUSLY EXPENSIVE to purchase TV on DVD. Nevertheless, I will never regret that purchase, as I’ve watched this series over and over.

Do yourselves a favour, peeps. Check it out. I swear, you will devour all four series and the mini-series in a matter of days!

 

You can purchase FarScape at:

Amazon.com ~ Amazon.co.uk ~ JB Hi-Fi

 

 

 

Hump Day Hook #humphook

 

Welcome to Hump Day Hook, a weekly list of authors showcasing their work around the Internets. A big thanks to the wonderful peeps at Hump Day Hook for making this possible.

Right, on with the hook itself! Another bit from FOOL’S GOLD, second in The Diamond Series:

 

Ethan stared down at Pearl. Unaware of his perusal, she slept on, her face peaceful and her chest rising and falling gently. She’d pushed the bed covers down to her waist, a wide vee of her skin revealed by the half-opened chemise, trapped and pulled tight by her body. The cloth had fallen sometime in the night, and the light from the lamp hit the tinsel on her Christmas tree, throwing color and spangles over the creamy flesh. An insane urge rose within him, an urge to see if the colors would change the flavor of her.

 

 

 

FOOL’S GOLD is currently touring the blogs, so make sure you check it out – you could win prizes! You can also learn MORE about FOOL’S GOLD here

 

Visit Hump Day Hook and discover more wonderful authors!