Ellie Potts's Blog, page 62

My co-worker Mark stops in to talk RPGs (Role Play Games)

When I was asked to write about my Role Playing Game(RPG) experiences I thought long and hard about the subject from both the Player side and the Game Master (GM) side. From the player side you see your character which you create from a series of books picking your skills and attributes, but once you start playing you actually give that character life a personality, in a way an extension of your own self or a self you wish you were. With RPGs you can escape the world you live in to be someone or something amazing even if it is for only a few hours you can be awesome along with a few other friends. 
Now the other side of things is the GM probably the hardest part to play because you’re not only the Author and creator of a world and all its people, you are everyone and everything, If you can dream it you can build it.  There are many books out there that have pre-created worlds and adventures; I have read many of them their good don’t get me wrong, but if you really want to enjoy and be a true GM you need to make your own world.  I can still remember my first time GMing with my brother and friends, it was a complete disaster by the end of the 4 hour campaign all my players were trying to kill each other and I really do mean that they were trying to kill each other in game. I look back at it now and laugh, but for a new GM it was very disheartening to have that happen to a world that you created. I learned allot that day and in the following months I GMed a few more times and each time it got better learning from my mistakes each game.

Now fast forward 10 plus year I’m still GMing in the same world I created and have built on it with many Non-playing characters (NPC) running around with their own agendas, plans, and sub plots and with all that happening they are then intertwining with my players It makes from some very fun adventures .

In the end I have to thank my brother for handing me the first book to the gaming world that I play now, it started out with a simple book walking me though creating a character, to eventually a whole world which I run. Taking the simple words of a book and giving it life.  To all the readers out there reading this I say go pick up a Gaming basic book reading it from cover to cover make your first character, and after a while make your own world. Last piece of advice Remember one thing always have fun.

Coming this week...

Nerd Month continues on Monday with some RPG talk and zombies. Plus I am hoping to give you guys a sneak peek at the new cover for Blood Witch and release time which I hope will be pretty quickly, and hopefully other book news as well. I wanted to take this moment to pimp out Melissa Darby's poetry books! Check out these covers she did!


She has four that just came out Check them out!
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=Melissa%20Darby&search-alias=digital-text&sort=relevancerank

The Ladies from Stellar Four pop in to talk nerd!

If you like nerd you should be following these chicks! The talk about everything with a nerd twist. I love their blog. And all four have stopped in to share some nerd! Thanks again ladies for stopping in!

 You won't find a more passionate person than a hard core geek.  It's kind of our thing.  When we love a fandom, we love it with our whole entire being.  Whatever it is, we obsess.  So, when Ellie asked the ladies of Stellar Four for a little something on being a nerd, we thought what better to  write about than our latest obsessions.



From Kathy F.
Books are my obsession, so it is no surprise that the most recent thing I’ve geeked out about lately is a book, more specifically, a book series. There have been several recent reads that I’ve enjoyed, like Stephen Blackmoore’s Dead Things and Jesse Petersen’s Club Monstrosity, but Emma Newman’s Split Worlds series owns my nerdy little heart. I’ve read Between Two Thorns and
A fantasy spanning three connected worlds, very creepy Fae, sorcerer’s, a soulless police force, a talking gargoyle, a society stuck in the Victorian age and the women who try to fight for their place in it, conspiracies, mundane humans stuck in the thick of it – there are so many things in this series, but Newman ties everything together effortlessly. Fast-paced reads and a trilogy where you don’t have to wait years to find out what happens (book 3, All is Fair, is out in September).

From Sara N.
It can be daunting to learn a new board game, which usually means mastering complicated rules, unfamiliar game rhythms and nit-picky turn sequences. Why not stick with the games you already know, love and can play in your sleep? To this, I respond: Where's the fun in that? Some games are so highly enjoyable that it's worth the effort to add them to your repertoire. Lords of Waterdeep is one of those games.

This strategy game for 2-5 players, which was released last year, requires you to undertake quests throughout the city of Waterdeep, and the person whose completed quests have earned the most points by game's end wins and becomes, well, the Lord of Waterdeep.

I adore Waterdeep because it's based on completing personal quests, rather than taking on your opponents head-to-head as in Risk or Axis and Allies. You're competing for resource tokens and spots on the board that will allow you to perform certain actions (earn money, score a bonus turn, etc.), but in the end, you're focused on collecting the resources you need to complete your own tasks, rather than obliterating your opponent's forces. Doing your own thing while keeping an eye on the progress of your opponents is my favorite style of gameplay, so no wonder I flipped for Waterdeep when I was introduced to it recently.

It's set in a Dungeons & Dragons universe, but don't panic if you don't know your seventh-level elf from your gelatinous cubes. No knowledge of D&D is required to enjoy the game, and its setting in this universe allows for awesome artwork and character names on the quest cards.

If you enjoy Settlers of Catan, Carcassone, Ticket to Ride, and other strategy-type board games, you'll be pleased with Lords of Waterdeep's zippy play time, engaging quests, and challenging but not brain-melting play mechanics.

From Meghan B.
My latest obsession involves a video game, a game I fully believe will be the game of the year. It's a little thing Irrational Games likes to call Bioshock: Infinite. Irrational Games was the brainchild behind the horrifyingly and mindbendingly awesome Bioshock, a game that dropped you in an undersea city crawling with gene-spliced humans and terrifying creatures called Big Daddies who sound like menacing bull elephants.

Bioshock was the first FPS (first person shooter) I ever played and dear god did I eat it up. It was scary and trippy and absolutely wonderful. It kept me guessing and kept me screaming in panic. Sander Cohen, I will hate you until my dying day!

Bioshock:Infinite builds off of the unease of Bioshock. This time you're in a turn of the century, uber-religious floating city and while the people aren't gene-spliced maniacs wielding ice picks, they are just as crazy. You play Booker, a Pinkerton sent to "bring us the girl and wipe away the debt". What is the debt? You have to play to find out. The girl, however, is the star of the show. Her name is Elizabeth and she is incredible. She's the best non-player character I've ever seen and seeing her on screen was an absolute joy.

The story was fast paced, the action was incredible and the game play was solid. I've never been so excited by a game. If you haven't played Bioshock: Infinite, you have to go out now and get it. I'm serious. Right now. I mean it.

From Megan S.
You guys, I'm going through serious withdrawal.  My favorite show, the best thing on television in recent history, ended a few weeks ago and I've been jonesing for more ever since.  What am I referring to, you ask?  Why, Orphan Black, of course.  What else could I possibly be referring to?  NOTHING.  Orphan Black surpasses it all.

Most of you have probably heard of the BBC America show by now and some of you have probably watched it but I've been devoted to this baby before it even aired.  For those of you who have no clue what I'm talking about, here's the sitch:  It's about a grifter named Sarah who, after assuming the identity of a suicide victim who just happens to look exactly like her, stumbles into a mind blowing, international conspiracy surrounding human cloning.  The more she uncovers with the help of her family, the more she learns about her own mysterious beginnings.

Orphan Black is amazing.  It could have been totally cheesy (which wouldn't rule out me loving it as I am a connoisseur of le fromage.)  However, the acting, writing, music, and plot combine to make something truly fantastic.  I haven't been this excited about a show in years so you can understand why I've been in a deep dark geeky hole of despair since the season finale June 1.  What am I supposed to do until season two premiers in the spring of 2014?  The fan art is pretty awesome but it's no substitute!

This is the worst argument to use when trying to persuade you to watch the show, isn't it? "Watch Orphan Black! You'll consume the whole first season in one day and then be unconsolable for the next nine months."  Sigh.  My eleventh grade English teacher would be so disappointed in me.  That's alright, I suppose.  I probably also have three spelling and/or grammar mistakes in this post so I would have already received an automatic F.

Anyway, go watch Orphan Black. You won't regret it.

Welcome to the Hayle Coven Novella Blog Tour

Welcome to the Hayle Coven Novella Blog Tour for award-winning author Patti Larsen. Join us each day for a new chapter in the Hayle Coven prequel novella, Dreams and Echoes and enter to win a Kindle Fire! (Or equivalent gift card.) Be amongst the first to read this brand new edition to the 20 (now 21!) book series that will conclude with The Last Call this July, and find out why fans are raving about the Hayle Coven series.Need to get caught up? Get Chapter 1 here .Chapter Four
            I was up and out of the house as early as I could manage. Partly because I didn't want to have to talk to Mom about the night before, and partly because I hadn't slept and just needed to get away from home.            Sassafras caught me sneaking my way through the front door, his humming growl stopping me in my tracks. I turned to see him standing at the foot of the stairs, glaring his cat-glare at me.            “Have a nice day at work,” he said. Like he totally meant it.            Not.            I stuck my tongue out at him, turned to go again when he laughed wickedly.            “Don't forget Ethpeal wants her hair done.”            I spun back on him, feeling the blood rush from my face, neck, chest to pool in my suddenly unhappy stomach.            “You wouldn't dare.” Would he?            Syd. This was Sassafras we were talking about.            Oh crap.            I bolted before he could say another word, shivering internally at the thought of Gram having a major—or even a minor—explosion at Evie's. Everything would be my fault, naturally, and we'd be forced to move less than a week after we'd arrived.            If anything did happen, I was pointing the finger right at Sassafras.            I ran the few blocks to the salon, glancing at my watch as I came to a panting halt by the front entry. I was a whole hour early. Since when did I become a morning person?            Oh yeah. Ever since a cute ghost decided to wake up in my bedroom and torture me over the bracelet around my wrist. At least, that was my guess. There didn’t seem to be any other logical reason for his attacks, especially when he demanded I give it back.            Okay, so bracelet thief I was. I pushed aside the guilt I felt for still wearing it. He was dead, wasn't he? Not like he had much use for it anymore.            But what if the person it was intended for was still alive? Shiver. And sigh. Okay then. I guess I had to find out. Which meant talking to him. And finding a way to deliver it to the intended owner without telling her—because this was totally a girl bracelet—that his ghost asked me to.            That would go over well. I managed to establish myself as a weirdo already without telling random strangers I could talk to dead people.            I was about to walk up the street to a small coffee shop and wait for Evie when the door behind me opened in a rush and the woman herself stepped out. Beamed at me through her purple lipstick, green eye shadow—same fake lashes only with a few feathers in the corners—her heaving bosom bouncing up from the biggest, shiniest black patent leather corset I'd ever seen.            Holy. She was a force of nature.            She grabbed me without a word and pulled me inside the salon, letting the door swing shut behind her.            “Sydlynn!” She hugged me, almost smothering me in naked chest.            Ew. Ew. Ew.            Ewwwwwwww.            I lurched free as she released me, wiping at my cheek, trying to smile while fighting the urge to turn and run for the hills.            “You're early.” She shook a finger at me in mock anger. Then smiled again. “I love early! And they say teenagers don't know respect these days. Now,” she spun and walked deeper into the salon, “come along and we'll show you what you'll be doing for the day.”            We? The place was empty, and silent as a church, the air cooler now that the hood dryers weren't blasting. I tip-toed over the black and white floor tiles, wincing as my sneakers squeaked. I'd taken a little effort to dress up-ish, at least. Okay, I'd made a messy bun instead of a ponytail and wore a button up shirt in place of my favorite tee. I really hoped, now I was in her clutches, Evie wouldn't try to give me a makeover.            Shudder.            She whipped open a door at the back of the salon, shooed me through first. I found myself in a small room, overly lit with fluorescents buzzing like a hive of pissed-off bees, a small table, fridge and sink rescued from another era, and three rickety chairs in one corner.            Evie turned to a row of beat-up lockers looking as if they'd been hijacked from a local high school junk yard and pulled one open. It rattled at first, the metal singing as she finally jerked it wide. One big hand, sparkling with so many rings I felt mesmerized looking at them, reached inside and pulled out a black shapeless something.            “Here you are, dear.” Her beaming smile would have been more attractive if it hadn't been for the purple smear on her front teeth.            I reached out for the thin vinyl. “Thanks.” I think. Though when I shook it out, I realized it was a coat of some kind, like a doctor wore, only collarless.            “The smock will keep you from getting anything on your pretty clothes,” Evie said. “Until you get used to being around the chemicals.”            She swept past me, gestured at the room as though it were something grand and precious.            “This is our staff room,” she said. “Cleanliness in this space reflects everything we do out there.” She pointed to the salon floor.            I nodded. Got it.            “Now.” She left the back and reentered the main room. “Let's do something with that hair, shall we?”            Fear pulsed through me, jerking my heart left and right even as she sat me firmly in the last chair and whipped a cape around my neck.            I didn't often go to salons for haircuts. Mom was my stylist. And since I tended to ignore my hair most of the time, this was a very foreign experience.            Scary foreign. Like, holy heck what was she going to do to me?            To my absolute delight and happy surprise, Evie performed magic on my hair, half-way down my back and still damp from the shower, twisting it from the messy bun and up over my head. In the time it took me to make the mess I'd made, she pinned, teased and prodded my heavy, dark waves into an artful—but tasteful—pile of coolness.            She stepped back with a flourish and a quick mist of hairspray before clasping the can to her generous chest.            “Syd,” she gushed. “If only I had your hair.”            I grinned at her, touched it just as she slapped my fingers away with a wink.            “All right then,” she removed the cape like she was tempting a bull, folded it in a flash and set it aside. “Shall we move on?”            Over the next half hour she taught me to use the funny hose in the sink—I soaked the ceiling three times while she snorted her head off—learned a new sweeping technique—I had no idea sweeping was an art—how to clean mirrors with a lint free towel and a little water—and I thought cleaner was necessary—and how to take appointments in the very crowded and confusing book at the front of the salon.            “If in doubt,” she said, long nails clacking on the pencil she handed me, “shout it out. I'm happy to help.”            I took extensive notes on her booking times and those of the two other stylists who worked for her: Marjorie Temple, whom I'd seen yesterday. Old as dirt lady was busier than Evie. And Blue Water, the junior stylist. Evie just rolled her eyes at the girl's name.            “Kids these days,” she said like she wasn't talking about my generation.            She pulled out a form and had me sign it. I struggled with remembering my new address and phone number, pretty sure I accidentally wrote down the street of my last town as she swept the application out from under me. “Pay is minimum plus tips,” she said. “I need you five days a week, 9am to 6pm. And if you're free, I'll take you for four hours on Saturdays.”            Wow, she worked a lot.            “Making the bacon when the sun shines,” she said, mixing two really horrible metaphors in a way that made me laugh.            I'd have to try it myself.            By the time she flicked on the open sign at the front of the salon, I felt comfortable with what I had to do and was sure I'd have a great day.
            “Syd!” Blue's constant calling of my name over the popping of her gum was going to drive me around the bend. “Where are the towels?”            I grunted as I hauled the load of freshly folded terry out to the shampoo sink and handed her one.            She grinned at me, water flying everywhere as she shampooed her client. “Thanks, kiddo.” It came out “thankth” because her tongue ring got in the way of her gum.            “Syd!” Oh. My. Swearword. I was going to hate my own name by the end of the day and it was only 11am.            I mean, I expected it to be busy. Sure. But not knuckle cracking, hair pulling, shriek in frustration insane from the second the door opened and a horde of fussy ladies walked in demanding the moon.            One tossed her jacket on me—on me—before sinking into Evie's chair.            “Make me look like Angeline Jolie,” the sixty-something with sagging jowls said.            Evie laughed. “I'm a hairdresser,” she said. “Not a plastic surgeon.”            I winced at the joke, but the woman just mewed her duck lips at Evie.            The first half hour was bad enough, but when Marjorie, “Call me Madge, muffin,” and Blue, “You're cute. We'll keep you until you keel over from exhaustion like the last girl,” arrived, all mayhem broke the crap loose.            I found myself wondering if Sassafras had been right. If I just wasn't cut out for working, for the world of normals.            Until Evie took a second at the cash register to pull me aside and kiss my cheek.            “You're doing so well,” she said. “So much better than the last girl. She didn't make it an hour. And look at you!”            Well then. Maybe I could handle it after all.            And I was a Hayle, wasn’t I? As I blew on the stray hair that had fallen from Evie's updo into my eyes, I looked around the salon and made a decision.            I would not quit.            Would not.            In fact, things seemed to get better from then, not worse. I poured all of my attention into the job, accepting the happy smiles and random praise from Evie, the grins and shoulder punches from Blue. Even the half-grimaces from Madge—pretty much all she could manage around her thick dentures—made the job go more smoothly.            After my initial fear wore off and I fell into their rhythm, I actually found myself having fun. This was what life was supposed to be like, right? Praise from those around you for a job well done. Not accusations and derision.            Just wait until I told Sassafras I held my own.            It would drive him nuts.            “Now, darling,” Evie said in a heavy whisper as I swept near the back room. I glanced up to see one of her clients in the staff area with her, the big hair stylist handing the older woman a small, pink bag with drawstrings and a pentagram stitched on the front. “You be careful with this. It's potent juju.”            I snorted out loud, covered it with a cough. The client hugged Evie before walking past me, hand tight around her prize.            Evie watched her go, slipping her arm around my shoulder.            “I hope it doesn't frighten you, dear,” she said, serene and cheerful, “but you're working for a witch.”            I stared up at her, lips twitching, doing my best not to laugh. Evie must have taken my expression for something else, because her face fell. She pulled me into the staff room and closed the door.            “I'm sorry, Syd,” she said. “I supposed I should have been more up front.” She gnawed on one of her colossal fingernails, painted a glaring orange. “But I've always known I had power. Ever since I was a little girl.”            I shivered at her terminology. After all, ever since I was a little girl, I'd known the same thing.            Just in case, I double checked. But nope. Evie was as normal as they came. Just deluded, I guessed, a little crackpot. But I adored her already, and I kind of liked crackpot.            I grew up with Gram, didn't I?            “I know things,” Evie went on. “Like when I knew you'd walk through the door yesterday.” Because she hadn't had a help wanted sign out or anything. She turned, fished through her giant purse the size of a suitcase and pulled out a second bag. It smelled of cinnamon and mint, the tassels tied in an elaborate knot. She pressed it into my hands and squeezed them closed.            “I made this for you, dear,” she said. Laid a dramatic hand on her forehead. “To protect you. There are dark things in your life, darling Syd.” She leaned closer. “Dark days coming.”            Um, okay, crazy lady.            “Thanks for the warning.” Yup. Crackpot.            But she was my crackpot.                   By the time the day was over, my body felt so exhausted I couldn't imagine walking home. But I managed, after sweeping the place clean, folding the last of the endless laundry and hanging my smock dutifully in my locker. The ladies came to stand in the doorway to say goodbye, to offer murmurs of happiness at my performance.            But the best part as I trudged on aching feet up the street was looking back to see Evie blow me a jaunty kiss in farewell.            Happiness warred with weariness as I finally turned up my walk and to the front door.            Nothing could ruin this day. Not one thing.            Mom, her second, Erica Plower, and the chief coven busy body, Celeste Oberman, all sat at the kitchen table, glaring at me.            Yeah. Nothing could ruin my day.            Except this.

***Get the first book in the Hayle Coven Series, Family Magic , on sale now for just 99cents on Amazon!About Patti Larsen
 Sign up at http://bit.ly/pattilarsenemail to be the first to know when a new book comes out! No spam, just new releases :)My official bio reads like this: Patti Larsen is an award-winning middle grade and young adult author with a passion for the paranormal. But that sounds so freaking formal, doesn't it? I'm a storyteller who hears teenager's voices so loud I have to write them down. I love sports even though they don't love me. I've dabbled in everything from improv theater to film making and writing TV shows, singing in an all girl band to running my own hair salon.But always, always, writing books calls me home.I've had my sights set on world literary domination for a while now. Which means getting my books out there, to you, my darling readers. It's the coolest thing ever, this job of mine, being able to tell stories I love, only to see them all shiny and happy in your hands... thank you for reading.As for the rest of it, I'm short (permanent), slightly round (changeable) and blonde (for ever and ever). I love to talk one on one about the deepest topics and can't seem to stop seeing the big picture. I happily live on Prince Edward Island, Canada, home to Anne of Green Gables and the most beautiful red beaches in the world, with my very patient husband and four massive cats.Connect with Patti:Facebook, Twitter, Website, NewsletterFollow the tour and get a chapter a day!Hayle Coven Novella Blog Tour List Dreams and Echoes by Patti LarsenJune 10: Chapter 1- Kimberly Kinrade, AuthorJune 11: Chapter 2-Reviews by CrystalJune 12: Chapter 3-Le' Book SquirrelJune 13: Chapter 4-Author Ellie PottsJune 14: Chapter 5-Herding Cats & Burning SoupJune 17: Chapter 6-Room With BooksJune 18: Chapter 7-My Life With Books and BoysJune 19: Chapter 8-Mama's Reading BreakJune 20: Chapter 9-Paws and PrintJune 21: Chapter 10-Patti Larsen, AuthorEnter the giveaway to win a Kindle Fire or equivalent Amazon GC!a Rafflecopter giveawaya Rafflecopter giveaway

My friend Valeria Baker talks Star Wars!

 I saw the latest issue of Geek magazine - yes WE now have our own magazine! - at the local grocery store and balked when I saw the cover story, "Star Wars is cool again." I was in shock. When was Star Wars ever NOT cool? Never mind the prequels. They don't really count and I will get to that subject in a moment...

Then I remembered the dark time, before the rebel...

Actually it was more like the dark time, before social media. Yes, I said it. Social media really can be a good thing. Heck we're all using it right now, so why be hypocritical about it? So imagine a time when a girl - of all things - loved reading and collecting comic books, watching sci fi and horror movies and reading everything she could find on the subject. Now imagine this girl
growing up in the late 70s and early 80s. Yep, the dark time... I remember going to the movie theater with my dad and brother and seeing the first Star Wars movie. People had been talking about it for months and I was dying to see it. The music began, the words crawled across the screen and then there was the Star Destroyer... Yes I was in heaven.

Then there was the Princess. In her very first scene she keeps a level head and fights back against all odds. And later when the men come to "rescue" her, her first words are "Aren't you a little short for a Stormtrooper" and "Rescue me? Who's going to rescue you?" And yes, she tells the cocky pilot to "get in the garbage chute flyboy" and doesn't hesitate to call Chewie and "Walking carpet." Oh and how could I forget earlier where this petite girl look Darth Vader straight in his cyborg eyes and stood her ground? She was the
first major strong female woman I saw in a movie and I wanted to be just like her. So, I didn't get to save the rebellion, make friends with the Ewoks (they may look cute an cuddly but they are savage in a fight), and eventually marry Han Solo. I did get to pretend to be her when playing with my older brother and his friends since I was the only girl in the area who liked Star Wars. And I could recite most of her lines even if I was only one of the poor souls who only saw it once at the movie theater as a kid (I know... I was very deprived LOL!).

Along the way we've had more strong female characters in tv and movies. Yes, we had comic book characters such as Wonder Woman and Jean Grey, but that was way before comic books beca
me the pop icons we know now. Sure lots of boys read comics, but you'd have to torture me as a kid to get me to admit it to my friends when I was a kid. Comic books were "boys stuff." And sci fi and horror movies were "boys stuff" too. But Princess Leia hit the mainstream pop culture and paved the way for Xena, Buffy and all the other strong female characters to follow.

It is so liberating now to be able to admit that I am in fact a geek. And I was a pioneer female geek way before geek was considered remotely cool. Back before we had major super hero movies and huge comic conventions (the first ones were quite small to begin with). Back when I kept it all hidden. I was already geek enough being quiet and liking to read - there was no reason to make myself even more of a social outcast.
So then along came Padme many years later... Yep, she'd blast away the bad guys along side the Jedi, but she was one of the most inane characters. Not quite bad as Jar Jar Binks, but still annoying. The guy she is crushing on admits to mass murder of a village including all the women and children. Sure he is grief stricken by the death of his mother - but I repeat, he killed the children. That is a major red flag in a relationship, or as Liz Lemon would call it a "deal breaker."

And thank you Liz Lemon - aka Tina Fey - for doing being the geek girl icon and doing what you believed in when it came to your wedding. It's your wedding and you do it just as you like, not as society dictates. Your wedding day is when you get to pretend to be a princess, and your favorite princess just happens to be Princess Leia. Besides, it's the only white dress that she owns.

As Simon Pegg say, being a geek is liberating! Finding other geeks who share your passion for the weird and unusual forms a sense of community...

My Friend Alan Kong stops in to talk TV nerdity!

 How TV allowed me to extend my nerdity

I used to love to read books. Why yes, I did grow up without Cable TV. When I went away  to college and left to my own accord to read textbooks and my channel list expanded somewhere along the line books and my attention span got left behind. I look at one  of my former goals of finishing War and Peace and now think, "I could probably watch all five seasons of "The Wire" faster than I could read that book. "Want me to read  Dickens? Best of times and worst of times? Make up your mind you jerk! Way to put  the dick in Dickens. Oh don't even get me started on One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish. Do you want numbers or colors?!" These brain teasers are the reasons I often put my brain into  standby mode and watch television instead.  Tuned InAhhh television. As Homer Simpson once said, "Teacher, mother, secret lover." In this day and age you're not restricted to watching TV shows on a television. Jigga what?! What an age we live in! Sometimes I like to stream TV shows on the computer and have a  digital HD over the air channel going on my LG 3D HDTV. It's like a couch potato  threeway. While playing Candy Crush I can hear Jon Stewart make jokes about our inept politicians on Hulu while simultaneously listening to a commercial on TV for "The Purge" wondering why people just don't  head to Canada for that week. My current viewing list is diverse but I don't want to talk about the shows that don't need more promotion  like Game of Thrones or Big Bang Theory or Arrested Development - watch season  4 all the way through before giving up on it btw - I'm here to add sprinkles to your nerdmone levels.  I want to list a few shows that you might not have tested out yet and risk completely  blowing my non established credibility with you.But what is a nerd's show? Is it centered around a nerd or  a group of nerds? It can be but for every Big Bang Theory you have your Family  Matters where people were meant to laugh at Urkel than with him but before you know it he took over the show. Something Screech could never accomplish on Saved by the Bell but I think that's because Screech was more dweeb than geek or nerd. Nerds seem to be drawn to certain types of shows across all  genres. We like that wow factor where the writing really demonstrates that extra level  of detail that nerds appreciate where things tie back together in an awesome, and  hopefully unpredictable, package. We're drawn to cleverness. I think nerds who haven't discovered these shows will appreciate them. Da  Vinci's Demons  - This new Starz drama is a fictional account of a Young Leonardo Da Vinci during the time when his beloved Florence is under siege from Rome and the Papacy. Leo demonstrates his cleverness along with his innovations using his talents to gain an upper hand on his enemies with some help from his apprentices and his complex relationship with the Medicis whom his father works for. The first season has just wrapped up its eight episodes  and a second has been ordered. If you really get into the show the finale may rival the Red Wedding episode of  Game of Thrones in shock value. The season wasn't legen - wait for it - dary but  pretty satisfying for an opening act since you know there'll be another season.Plenty of material for nerds to argue and nitpick about including historical  accuracy, plausibility of his inventions and his sexuality. Be sure to argue your position passionately to show those strangers you've never met how right you are and if you don't like it tell me how stupid I am!Nerd Bonus Points:·         Alexander Siddig, who played Dr. Julian Bashir from Star Trek:  Deep Space Nine, has a recurring role as Al-Rahim.
Sherlock  - I was recommended this BBC crime drama after seeing the American ripoff  known as Elementary. A modern day Sherlock Holmes assisting the police with assistance from military veteran, Dr. John Watson.There have been two seasons each consisting of three ~90 minute episodes based on the stories. I'll admit that a couple of the episodes weren't for me and I probably would've preferred if they were half as long but overall it's a solid series.  The series becomes darker as it goes on and the first episode is a great introduction into how his mind works.Speculation about the ending of Season 2 has been ongoing for quite awhile given the  lengthy break. The third season, which reportedly will start to stray more from the  Sir Arthur Conan Doyle stories, is currently in production so you can find some time  to catch up and conjecture before it airs.Nerd Bonus Points:·         Benedict Cumberbatch, who plays Khan in Star Trek: Into Darkness  (Did I mention I've watched every episode of every non-Animated Star Trek incarnation?), plays Sherlock.·         Steven Moffat, who helped revive the Doctor Who series, co-created this series.·         House M.D. was based on Sherlock Holmes. The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson  - I'm sure when most people think nerdy talk  shows they think Conan, The Daily Show or Colbert Report - All great by the way -  but mostly because they're probably asleep by the time Craig Ferguson airs.  Thankfully you can catch episodes of this gem for free on CBS.com. Craig is a  Whovian who played Drew Carey's boss, Nigel Wick, on The Drew Carey Show. He had an entire episode dedicated to the Doctor when he had Matt Smith as a guest including one of Craig's infamous opening dance numbers. Aside from  that he's also a huge Mythbusters fan with a sidekick robot, Geoff Peterson, who was  built by Grant Imahara. Having before done shows with not only the monologue,  but an entire show hosted by a hand puppet, he also has his trusty steed Secretariat  which consists of two interns in a horse costume. He also has written very candid  novels of his life detailing his battles with alcohol and drugs. He also is very  proud of becoming an American Citizen but never hides his Scottish roots. He may be  the heir to David Letterman's show.Nerd Bonus Points:·         Craig is also an accomplished voice actor lending his voice to  characters you may know such as Gobber in How to Train Your Dragon, Owl in Winnie the Pooh and Susan Boil in an episode of Futurama.Thanks for reading and stay tuned.

Nerd Month Continues as Selah Janel talks about comics and manga!

I’ve always been entranced by comics in some form. I don’t know if it’s the fact that I’ll never be able to draw well enough to do one on my own, or the fact that I love the blend of visual and script, but I absolutely love comics, manga, and graphic novels. Admittedly, though, I’m a different kind of comic nerd. I’m not always the one that’s going to be hanging around at the local shop, getting the titles as they come in. I’m usually a little behind because I get my titles from the library (I prefer full volumes to individual issues). I love discovering indie titles and grabbing graphic or illustrated novels that I might not read otherwise (I read a bit of Audrey Niffeneger that way, and discovered the YA graphic novel Smile by Raina Telgemeier, as well). Still, my comic and manga binges are almost a sacred time, a time to curl up in bed or on the couch and shut out the world with some awesome stories and dynamic images. That being said, there are still some genres that I prefer over others. Hang on to your batarangs, because I’m about to nerd all over you.
I love horror comics. We’re talking about pure, unadulterated love of creepy stories that make my mind bend, especially when combined with great art. I love binging on archive collections of Creepy and Eerie, which have a lot of forgotten gems. True, sometimes you can see what’s coming, but it always looks dynamic and is a lot of fun. I enjoyed Black Hole a lot because it was such a different kind of plague setup. It really shows the strength of a lot of modern horror comics – you get to see different types of characters reacting to plots that are just a little left of center from traditional horror tropes. American Vampire is a personal favorite of mine. Skinner Sweet instantly became my favorite vampire from vol. 1 on, and I love the progression of Pearl’s acceptance of her vampirism and her relationship with him and after him. It really does a lot to treat vampires in a new way. It’s brilliant to give different vamps different powers depending on age and where they’re from, and even more brilliant to set the story arcs in different periods of American History, some of which are overlooked. Vol. 2, especially, is a punch in the stomach. While I appreciate titles like Walking Dead, to me, the ones I’ve mentioned actually are a little more user friendly
My all-time favorite series, though, have to be Sandman and Locke & Key. This is what happens when you have really amazing authors paired with really incredible artists. You’re plunged into the story, and it’s only when you finish an issue or volume that you realize you’re coming back up for air. These are probably as close to perfection as one can get, and if you think you’re too cool for comics, then you need to read these series. They both take their time to let you get to know the characters, and while Sandman is a lusher environment, Locke & Key does a lot within the walls of a house and the small town around it. Both series have mastered pacing and plot twists and are sure to leave you wanting more. These are both titles you can read multiple times, because you’re never going to get everything with one read.
I do have a guilty pleasure, though. It’s one that probably clashes with the personality the world knows, so a lot of people blink when I gush on and on about it. I absolutely freakin’ love shojo manga. For those who don’t know, that would be what’s considered to be the more girly stories for female sensibilities. Pretty illustrations, complex stories, and usually at least one triangle (or whole other forms of geometry if we’re talking secret twins or doubles that suddenly pop up). That doesn’t mean they’re all uber-romantic. While I like Honey and Clover, Sand Chronicles, Crimson Hero, Paradise Kiss, Rozen Maiden, Bizenghast, and things like that as much as anyone, I’ve been drawn to more long-term stories that offer really good narration with a lot of character work and twists and turns.

Although I still think Fruits Basket’s story is better than the art, it’s a phenomenal series that really takes the legend of the Chinese zodiac and runs with it. All the characters are so unique, and the way they see their plights is an eye-opener for characterization. I’m a big fan of Godchild, and although titles like it and Pet Shop of Horrors are technically shojo, their stories are very dark and intriguing for a lot of different types of dark fantasy and horror fans. I love that a lot of these titles don’t pull a lot of punches. Once you’ve read a lot, you do see common themes between series, but as a Westerner, I have to admit I admire some of the plot twists and epic illustrations portraying some considerably dark scenes (Some of these could rival horror comics). I’m sad that Shojo Beat is no longer in print, because it was a great way to test drive a lot of different titles and see what you like.

My two big favorites, though, I happened on by accident at the library. Boys Over Flowers takes the theme of a common girl at an elite high school and runs off a cliff with it, because her personality is so strong and tenacious. And when she challenges the main bully, and then he ends up having a thing for her, it’s great stuff. Skip  Beat combines a lot of popular themes: the love triangle, showbiz, the common girl trying to make good, and warps them. The love triangle is ruined by the fact that one guy wants to be Kyoko’s main focus, even if it means that she hates him, and her other suitor can’t get her to understand that he’s into her because she is bound and determined not to unlock her heart. The fact that she’s also hell-bent on revenge and lets loose with these bizarre little mini grudges at certain points yet also is naïve and still believes in fairies and magic…all while learning that she truly has a talent for acting…it’s genius. It’s warped, beautiful genius that makes me so happy I can’t stand it.
Oddly, I’m not huge on superhero comics. Maybe it’s just too much for me to keep track of, or maybe I only identify with certain plots or characters. I’ve gone through all the phases, but there’s really only one that has kept my interest since I was a little kid. From a tender age, I was all about the Dark Knight. When I was four, I discovered the old Adam West show and wanted to be Batgirl. Through elementary school, I may have sat in the church choir during after-school practice and read over the shoulders of boys who collected (It never occurred to me to just ask my folks to buy me comics). That was a theme for a while, the boys in my classes let me borrow their Batman comics, all the while reassuring me that Batman would be okay and nothing could hurt him (I don’t think they ever figured out that I was just as much fascinated by the Joker as I was the caped crusader, himself). Batman: The Animated Series and reading the novelizations when I couldn’t get the comic arcs super-charged my fascination, and drew my attention to the fact that there were so many quality stories in that universe. There’s something about the fact that Bruce Wayne is so flawed and that affects everyone around him. Plus, the fact that there are so many great villains makes for infinite possibilities (along with infinite earths, apparently). Added to that are all the interesting side characters that go off on their own adventures, and the fact that so many of these people are looking for happiness and unable to hang onto it…it’s a breeding ground for possibility. I love No Man’s Land, The Killing Joke, Arkham: Serious House on Serious Earth, Court of Owls, and many more. Batman is fun because you’re just as likely to run into a crime syndicate as you are a supervillain or mutant bat monster or a zombie apocalypse. While I’ll admit sometimes the paranormal aspect goes off the deep end, I still feel like you can’t take that away without taking away a part of what Batman is. At its core, the characters are good and have become multi-faceted over the years, there are fleeting romantic elements that work when done well, and there’s a huge, huge history lurking in Gotham.

For me, getting into comics as a kid and even more as an adult taught me the importance of story, and how to link up a visual image to text. Even if I do it via description and dialogue, it’s still been an important lesson. They appeal to the child side of us, the teen side who likes a gory, dark story or a complicated love-fest, and the adult who wants something with a little more sophistication. CAnd I totally still want to be Batgirl.
For more on Selah, check out the following: Blog: http://www.selahjanel.wordpress.comFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/authorSJ
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/SelahJanel

Author Kim Scott celebrates a year with free books!!

I am running a little late. But Kim Scott wanted me to share this so everyone could enjoy the books.

One year ago I published my 1st book and am offering my complete series on Kindle to celebrate. If you can share the message below and the attachment to help me spread the word I would appreciate it. And it goes without saying that I will be happy to return the favor with anything you need promoted.

“Kim Scott is celebrating the 1st anniversary of her book Regarding Ruth by offering her complete 4 book series FREE on Kindle! This offer runs June 7, 8 & 9 only so get yours while it lasts!”
US: http://www.amazon.com/The-Ruth-Chernock-Series-ebook/dp/B00AQJ7RIIUK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Ruth-Chernock-Series-ebook/dp/B00AQJ7RIICA: http://www.amazon.ca/The-Ruth-Chernock-Series-ebook/dp/B00AQJ7RII

Mythology Blog Hop Winner

Congrads! Kaci McClellan Verdun! I had a blast with this hop a lot. Thanks to everyone who pitched in and told me about what myths and what kind of mythology they enjoy. I am in a limbo at the moment so I am not sure when the next hop will be so just keep checking back and I will let you all know. :o)

Sunday Snippet!

Leslie’s eyes darkened to a thick thundercloud color as the power rolled out of her and over the house. She warded the doors; there was so much blood in the house that it fed her power. It brought a gasp from her, all the hair on her body stood on end as the magic rode through her like lightning. She took in three deep breaths and sucked in the magic. It wouldn’t stay down.

“Go,” she choked out to Patrick.

“Are you-"

She waved him off before he could say another word. She watched him leave, balling her hands into fists. She had never been in so much human blood, but the tainted blood seemed to be affecting her. She looked down at her bare arms and noticed the blood on her skin. She took in a deep breath, but her magic would not calm down. She did the only thing she could, she let it ride. She gave into the magic; three bodies in the house felt it.

Blood. Magic.

Collin’s eyes turned into white orbs as Patrick’s turned into a sea green, his bear eyes, and the Rogue licked his lips.

“What is she doing?” Collin asked Patrick.

“I think it’s the blood. She warded the doors so the rogue wouldn’t get out, and she seemed to let out more then she wanted.”

“Fuck,” Collin said. Patrick nodded.

A noise like scratching above them drew their attention. “Five bucks says I know where he’s going,” Patrick said at Collin's back holding a large silver knife.
Collin pulled out his 9mm, but Patrick stopped him from leaving the carpet, pointing to the blood coating the tiles. They both looked at Leslie. He clicked off the safety. Her hair seemed alive, her dark eyes were watching the roof, but she seemed to be not there. The scratching turned into loud bangs. Collin aimed. A huge piece of the roof fell into the blood, splashing more on Leslie.

Then it sprang at her. She held her hand out and the vampire twisted in the air as if being strung up like a giant puppet. “I almost forget how normal they look,” Leslie said in a far off voice.