Jack Lewis Baillot's Blog, page 30

"Nothing. I just wanted to be sure of you."

 My spring reading list got off to a slow start as I cut back reading while I moved and packed. The last few days of May I started to reread a bunch of my favourite kid's books as well as the Doctor Who 50th collection of short stories. With summer arriving, I felt in the mood for some really fun, easy stories - that and I'd been wanting to read some of the 50th stories so was pleased to find the whole collection at the library here.

 Nearly all the books have been reviewed on my blog, except for the American Girl ones which I won't be reviewing and a couple others I haven't gotten to yet but will either this week or next.
Brothers-in-ArmsI read this one twice. I was editing it, I'm still editing it. If neighbors happen to see it fly from a window in the near future I will make no apologies but will follow it by my scream of agony.
Code Name Verity
 I listened to the audio book while my computer was being doctored. The ending, still in pain. So much pain. But I loved it.
The Book Thief
 Another audio book. I didn't listen to the end because I refuse to believe that ending happened. But I loved the rest of it. 
Brothers in Battle, Best of Friends
 A Band of Brothers book. Wild Bill was insane. I loved him
How A Star Falls
 An adorable romance. 
The Battle of Castle Nebula
 Science fiction, amazing characters. It was painful and I wasn't expecting that but I enjoyed it in spite of that.
Diary of a Teenage Superhero
 This one was okay. Not one of my favourites but I didn't hate it either. Not sure I will finish the series though
Voices of the Pacific
 True stories from Marines who fought in the Pacific in WWII. There were times it was hard to read but I nevertheless loved the book because of the men I had the chance to learn more about
Freedom Flyers
 Because it was about the Tuskegee Airmen I liked it, I just wished it wasn't written like a school report
When the Sergeant Came Marching Home
 A WWII story about two boys adjusting to having their dad back home from the war. It was adorable, and even better because it's a true story
My Friend's Book
 Not sure how much I can say about this since it isn't out yet, but I edited it and enjoyed it
Watership Down
 LOVED SO MUCH!
Finding the Magic
 My coming soon Beauty and the Beast retelling. I read it twice during edits.
Land of Black Gold
 Tintin. Because I love reading the comics over and over and over and this is one of my favourites
Iron Scouts of the Confederacy
 This book is the reason my middle name is Lewis.
Prince Caspian
 I listened to the audio book. Well, I guess the radio dramas, but I adore these adaptions
Dealing with Dragons
 I didn't think I'd like this book. Not my favourite but I did enjoy it
Call of Duty
 BUCK COMPTON FROM BAND OF BROTHERS. This man....
Unbroken
 I listened to the audio book. Thought I should take a break since I've read it twice since December....by break I mean listening to it rather than rerereading it. I'll be rerereading it again soon though, never fear
Annabeth's War
 A good friend of mine wrote this book and I've rather fallen in love with Randsom
The Black Island
 My top favourite Tintin story. SCOTLAND! KILTS! PLANES!
The Horse and his Boy
 Another audio drama. I listened to a lot of books this spring to help me fall asleep
A Book I Edited
 Another I can say little about but enjoyed
Parachute Infantry
 Best to read the review I wrote on this one. I can't really sum it up
The Monuments Men
 I LOVED this book WAY more than I thought I would and I went in to it expecting to love it a lot. The ending really got me
Woven
 This was a typical fantasy but somehow it worked so much better than the overused plot should have worked

The next few are the adorable Beatrix Potter stories I read. I won't sum them up, but I loved them all. Mixed with them are the Doctor Who stories written in honor of the 50th Anniversary. I won't be summing them up either, but I liked every one of them 
The Tale of the Pie and the Patty-Pan
The Tale of Peter Rabbit
The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin
The Tale of Benjamin Bunny
Voyage of the Dawn Treader
 Audio Drama
Winnie-the-Pooh
 Because this book.......everyone needs to read it
The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher
A Big Hand for the Doctor
The Story of a Fierce Bad Rabbit
The Story of Miss Moppet
The Nameless City
Meet Kit
 I've been wanting to read all the American Girl books. I wasn't sure about the newer girls, I've read all the older ones growing up. Kit's book I did enjoy
Beyond Band of Brothers
 Major Winters from the 101st Airborne. This is his first hand account of his time in WWII
The Tale of Tom Kitten
Meet Caroline
 I ended up liking Kit's more, but I didn't hate this one
Meet Marie-Grace
 I didn't enjoy this much. It was okay, but I think I've come to expect more from the American Girl stories. This seemed to be lacking a lot and while I plan to finish this series, I'm not looking forward to it as much as I am the other girls' books
The Spear of Destiny
The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck
The Roots of Evil
Tip of the Tongue
Something Borrowed

The Ripple Effect

Spore

The Beast of Babylon

The Mystery of the Haunted Cottage

Nothing O'Clock

Lights Out

The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies

The Tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse

The Tale of Timmy Tiptoes

The Tale of Johnny Town-Mouse

The House at Pooh Corner
 I love Winnie the Pooh, but I love this book a bit more. The ending still makes me sad, but I adore the stories in this book.

A Bear Called Paddington
 I really want a Paddington living in the apartment with me

 Now I'm off to bed

 Quote is from Winnie-the-Pooh. Piglet talking to Pooh.


 ALLONS-Y!

"I find your lack of faith disturbing"

 Wherein Jack doesn't want to be writing a post.
 Not that I dislike all of you and wish to avoid all of you.....*CoughChokeCough*
 It's just, today was so warm. And sunny. And I hiked through some sagebrush so now my hands smell like pine trees and I'd like nothing better than to be back outside, even though the sun is setting and there is likely some kind of swarming bug out there waiting for me.
 I don't know why I thought of bugs just now. Maybe because in Wyoming, when spring came, so did the bugs and one of my brothers and I would race outside, fight them off, and run back in to see who could last the longest.
 I went to the library today. *Basks in the awe and amazement thrown her way.* Yes, yes, thank you. *Bows*
 These librarians don't know me. (One does, but she wasn't there.) At my hometown library they were used to me and the weird array of books I would check out. They don't know about me here yet. So when I flopped down my stack, which consisted of Paddington Bear, three American Girl books, a fat Doctor Who one, Leviathan on audio book, and Penderwicks in Spring she raised her eyebrows and I just grinned. She should be glad I couldn't find any WWII ones to add to my collection.
 I shouldn't have gotten more books. I already have a large summer reading list, and I'm still finishing up my spring list...but PENDERWICKS! The new one! And Doctor Who...and Paddington....so you can see why I snatched books up.
 What other brilliant things have I done.....
 I read Winnie-the-Pooh again over the weekend. Yes, you were all DYING to know that.
 And I'm reading Winters' book. Dick Winters from Band of Brothers. I'm halfway through and I've picked up on his very important message. He was friends with Lewis Nixon. BEST friends. Anytime he mentioned Nix he liked to remind everyone of how they were friends.
 No, really, I have nothing.
 My problem is the lovely new stack of books, and Winters' book...and PENDERWICKS! 
 So really, just take this post as it is and go and find your own good books to read. Because spring is here, and spring means sunshine and reading and sagebrush. 
 Quote is from Star Wars.

 ALLONS-Y!

"We salute the rank not the man."

 Like nearly all Americans I come from a military family. Both my grandpas served, quite a few, if not all, my uncles, and even some cousins. And if I had to summarize my family I'd use my grandpas.
 My mom's dad joined the army at sixteen. He fought in Korea and came back and has been active in service related activities since.
 My dad's dad was in the Air Force. He stole a plane - drinking was involved but I don't remember if he got drunk and stole the plane or stole the plane and flew somewhere to get drunk. Either way, he stole a plane, went AWOL, then came back and was dishonorably discharged. And that kind of sums up the personalities of all who bare his last name.
 (By the way, even if that story might not sound amusing in a post it has made my family snicker for years as we're all very fond of that grandpa.)
 Today is Memorial Day and the song I'm posting, while I listen to it while I write, is in honor of the men and women who fought for our freedoms. 

The music for this song is the opening theme for Band of Brothers. Someone wrote the words after the miniseries came out.
 Quote is from Band of Brothers, one of Winters sassy moments. (I'm reading his book so it only seemed fitting to use one of his quotes.)

"Brooklyn just makes us a little nervous."

 Wherein Jack learned and did things this last week.

 The mail here hates me

 I so have the bet I made with my best friend won

 The rain came back

 I don't think I hate the rain. I walked in it and got soaked which meant I got to come home and have nice hot tea. But only after I went to work dripping wet

 Proof copies of Brothers-in-Arms arrived which means I get to read through it again

 I'd someday like to meet a fella who will get me two scoops of ice cream on dates

 I found out I'm not horrible when it comes to balancing on wooden fences

 I've been working on the forth book in the Blade series. I had NO idea how painful it would turn out to be. I think most of it is because I've been working on the plot for years so it is hard nearing the end.

 Even though I've been having fun walking in the rain, wielding my umbrella like a sword, and jumping mud puddles I'm ready for summer. Sunshine. Sunburns. Bare feet. Ice cream. 

 If you haven't caught on, I think I'm in the mood for ice cream.

 I need to make a raft this summer, out of logs lashed together with some twine, and float it down a river. I've always wanted to do that.

That's all I did this week.
 Quote is from Newsies

 ALLONS-Y!

"Bill, don't look at me. I'm hideous."

 THE SUN IS OUT!

 Oh yes, and greetings to you all and all that lovely stuff.

 It's Wednesday. Which means I'm halfway through my busy week. Friday is the long day but since it is the end of the week I don't think I can complain. Once it is over I get the weekend off to read and sleep and go outside where THE SUN IS SHINNING AT LONG LAST.
 It took it only...nearly all spring before it caught on.
 Yesterday it pretended to come out. It lured me outside with the promise of lovely weather and instead the wind blew and I had to leave on my bombardier jacket as I went up a tree. The tree had nothing to do with life in general, I just happened to be balancing on a fallen branch under it and it just happened to lead me right to the tree and I figured I might as well go up. Which meant I went to work covered in a nice array of sap.
 Since this is the halfway point I'm feeling tired and wish to curl up in the sunshine with a good book and ignore life. Except I have a bet going with my best friend, and if I did that I'd lose the bet. Instead, I dressed like I borrowed my older and taller sister's clothes, threw on an insanely colored pair of tights, and am sneaking in a post before I have to go to work. (Hear that, Phil. I'm still on track with the bet!)
 I should have some point to this. But by the time I get to a point I will have to end and put my shoes on. So you will have to do without a point and allow me to go and eat my lunch.
 And sulk because the sun just disappeared behind an army of clouds which felt the need to march down from the mountain. So long as they don't bring more rain I think we can get along fine. Not that I hate rain, I am just suffering cabin fever and...nope. I've got nothing.
 Good bye, I want food.

 ALLONS-Y!

"Is no one going to address the fact Cap said language?" "I know, it slipped out."

 I thought it was time I did another Haphazardly Implausible song inspiration.

  This song I first heard while watching the movie, because it is from the movie just in case you couldn't guess. I really liked it when I first heard it, but then I realized it reminded me a lot of Jack and Isidore.

 And...that is about all I have. I'm really busy this week with work...not writing work but other work. Which means I need to double up on writing so I won't get behind. My posts will probably be a bit shorter as a result. (I also need to double up so I can have some time off this summer. I has summer plans and a mini vacation. Because everyone needs one of those in summer.)

 So I am going to go, drink some sage and lavender tea, listen to the audio book of The Horse and his Boy, and steel up enough nerve to make phone calls tomorrow.

 Quote is from Age of Ultron and the running joke they kept up through the whole movie.


 ALLONS-Y!

"Will you stop moving around? It's so frustrating! I think I counted one of you twice."

 Wherein Jack is random
 You have been warned.
 There is a peak point in which to drink tea. Sometimes it is hard to find, it takes years of practice, but when you get there your tea will be perfect. Not too hot. Not too cold.
 It took me weeks to find the right wording for the quote I used for my title. It shouldn't have, I use it all the time, but when I started to try and remember it for a post title I kept forgetting how it went.
 I've discovered that the best way to make friends with little kids is to wear odd socks. Even if little kids still take a while to warm up to me they at least find me interesting as they examine the stripes going up my legs.
 It is a big change going from having nothing but brothers to nothing but sisters. In spite of that I may or may not have gotten into some wrestling matches. (Explanation. I'm living with sisters and they've rather adopted me. Hence the sister thing.)
 I toss apples and oranges from one hand to the other really fast. Adults watch me so when I slip and drop my apple they can laugh and say I bruised it. But when a little kid saw me they threw me a ball because they assumed I was an amazing juggler.
 I was biking home the other day when I passed by a man and my first thought was, "He's old. He must be forty." I didn't mean it to be an insulting thought, it just came up and then it sank in that I am nearly thirty and forty isn't that much older than me. (I mean no insult to anyone forty or older who is reading this post. My problem is is that I don't feel my age, so I have that childish tendency to believe everyone over thirty is so much older than I am.)
 I had some chocolate ice cream this weekend. Do you have any idea how much ice cream improves life? No wonder it was given to the soldiers before they jumped into Normandy.
 I went to get my paycheck today and ran into a man heading in the same direction. When he told me he was out for the same means as I was I froze and awkwardly stood in his way until I realized he was being a gentleman and letting me go first. I scrambled to the desk, all while trying to think of something nice to say. I didn't manage, which isn't all that surprising.
 I've been baking bread. I thought I would be good when I moved out and make my own  bread since I was always told it is cheaper than buying it. I almost became a baker once, when I told my Mercenary Friend he said he could see me as a baker and thought I would be good at it. I took pictures of my bread in case I ever meet up with him again. He will find them amusing. The first few loaves were okay. I thought I was getting the hang of baking, then I made two loaves and charbroiled the tops of them. Last night's attempt fell to pieces when I took it out of the pan and it's as dry the Sahara desert. Time to banish me from the kitchen again.
 For a few weeks I had it down to where I was just reading one book at a time. That didn't last long and I'm back to reading four at once. I think this is one habit I will never break, not that I'm too worried about it.
 I think I will always be sad that Eugene Roe, the Band of Brothers' medic, didn't write down his story as some of the other men did. I do understand though. One of my uncles was a medic in the Vietnam war and he refuses to talk about it. He will talk and joke about anything else but not that.

 I need to consider moving to a place where there is an actual spring. I like the cold, but I prefer it in winter, when it is meant to be cold. I'm constantly having to pull a jacket on after days where I've done nothing but wear short sleeves and lose my shoes.

 The Last Goodbye from The Battle of the Five Armies is an incredibly painful song.

 I dress myself like a five-year-old. You know the ones, you see them all the time. They wear poke a dot pants, stripped shirts, tutus, and spiderman jackets. Their mothers blush and say, "She wanted to dress herself this morning," so you know the mom had nothing to do with it. I realized today I do the same thing. I go to my closet, stick my head in, and go, "This looks nice, and this, and I've not worn this jacket in forever." I throw it all on and head out. Sometimes I get an okay outfit from it, usually I look like the five-year-old who dressed herself for the first time.

 My dog tags almost came off again. I don't know if I explained them, so I will do so now to explain why them coming off us such a big deal. For my best buddy's birthday I made us dog tag with our nicknames on them. Friendship necklaces for our nerdy side.
 I did a post a month or so back about our theory behind why the soldiers in Band of Brothers never lost their dog tags even when they rolled around on the ground and dove into lakes. When I sent my buddy hers one of the first things she said is we would now have to prove our theory. If our tags fell off it would prove the soldiers only kept theirs because they were so dashing the tags never would have dreamed of leaving them.
 A couple weeks ago I got into a wrestling match with my roommate and they almost came off. The other day I was hanging upside down over the back seat of her car and again they almost slipped over my head.
 If I was a Myth Buster I'd have proven the myth true.

 Now I need to stop being random. I have a book to edit.

 Quote is from Robots, as I already said. It is the last battle, when they go in out numbered and..brilliant. I just forgot his name and I don't feel like looking. The brother. He is trying to count to see how badly they are outnumbered.

 There. Now I'm going for real.


 ALLONS-Y!

"We scared those Rebs right out of their boots!"

 I did this song not too long ago. I should pick a new song, but Josh Groban released his newest CD, Stages, and this song was on it. I had to do it again, because his voice makes the song sadder and it fits even better with Brothers-in-Arms.
 So, Music Monday is a repeat, of sorts.

 TADA!
 Before I go, my hedgehog, you all remember him, right? John, my pet baby hedgehog who writes books? He has an announcement HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!
 Quote is from the book Iron Scouts of the Confederacy, the book which I took my middle name Lewis from. (Not my real life middle name.)
 That is all.

 ALLONS-Y!

*Blank stare* "He's fast and she's weird."

 I should have posted Wednesday. I even had a post ready to go, but then we watched a movie and my computer kept glitching. By the time we finished the two hour movie at least three hours had past and I ran out of time.

 I am posting today though, because today is the 8th and I had a promised post which has to go up today.

 For those who need a bit of a refresher...I say that but it is just me saying I don't know how to continue this post without saying that...today I am revealing the release date and cover for my short Beauty and the Beast retelling.

 First, the blurb.

Belle's father has always taught her to see the magic in the world around her, but when war comes it suddenly becomes harder to find. During the bombings of London, Belle is sent to live with Adam Prince, a bitter gentleman who has lost much and has therefore locked himself away in his mansion. When Belle meets Mr. Prince she decides she will show him the magic her dad told her not to forget, but it isn't as easy as she thought it would be.
 Aided by her new friend, Belle begins to break down Mr. Prince's wall. But, just as she is helping him find laughter again sorrow strikes too close to home and Belle herself begins to lose hope.

And now for all the fun bits.

 This novella will be releasing to the world on July 17th. I'll be publishing it in both paperback form and ebook.

The Cover



 Random little story behind this cover. Usually when I get my covers they involve standing out in the middle of streets armed with an array of weapons. I have the cameraman at one in, the model at the other, and two posts to keep an eye out for cars so everyone can get to the sidewalk before they are crushed.

 For this cover I really wanted a rose and some snow, but sadly all the snow had melted and the weather had been fairly nice. Also I was having trouble finding somewhere I could buy a single rose. I didn't want a whole dozen.

 Right before I moved someone gave my mum a rose. I don't even remember why now - I was packing and slightly preoccupied. The next day it dumped a lovely covering of snow everywhere. I asked my mum if I could borrow her rose, then went to the college with my camera where I sprawled out in a snow bank in my trench coat and ignored the college students who passed me.

 In spite of it being cold, it was one of the safer covers I've ever done.

 I hope all of you like it, and even more I hope you will enjoy the story when it is released.

 Quote is from Age of Ultron, a conversation between Hill and Rogers.

 ALLONS-Y!

"No one would know. Last I saw him Ultron was sitting on him. Terrible loss. I miss him already."

 Wherein Jack is not being a responsible Author.
I have a song for today, but it has no connection to my books. (Unless you make a Brothers-in-Arms connection somehow which someone did. I didn't see the connection but obliviously one reader did.)

 I'm just doing this song because this man's voice is amazing and I love the song and the musical and I love this fella's voice....so, put all that together and I think it's pretty fantastic!

  Enjoy

  If you can't tell from the quote, I saw Age of Ultron. And if you didn't know that it means you need to go and see it. The quote is Hawkeye, after Quicksilver leaves him behind in his dust. Because few things are better than Hawkeye complaining to himself.


 ALLONS-Y!