Chad R. Mitchell's Blog, page 3

House of Cards – A Netflix Original

House of Cards – A Shark’s Game

 

I recently started watching House of Cards. It is the much-ballyhooed original series released exclusively, and produced by Netflix. This is their first foray into original programming (minus Lilyhammer – A Norwegian miniseries), and a heavy bet on a new means of watching new shows. This has the traditional cable companies on edge. If Netflix can pull off quality programming, without commercials, and include them in the monthly subscription fee, it has the potential to turn TV on its head.

The show is star heavy, featuring Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright, and produced by David Fincher. The first two episodes are even directed by the talented Mr. Fincher and there are several other acclaimed directors, such as Joel Schumacher that have also directed parts.

Because of this, I was skeptical of it actually being any good. I hate when I go to watch a movie that has “star power,” or is “highly anticipated.” It seems that most of the big budget, heavily marketed, overblown productions fail to deliver. And I personally rarely give them the chance.

However I genuinely enjoy Kevin Spacey, and have yet to see a David Fincher film I didn’t enjoy. (Well maybe Alien 3… ) So I decided to risk a few hours diving into House of Cards. And I did so with my criticism prepared, ready to rip it apart, and let the world (or the 5 of you reading) know.

But I was pleasantly surprised.

First off the subject matter is very dry. A US representative, and his nonprofit CEO wife, feel slighted by the new president they helped put in power.  And they set into motion a plan of tedious and deliberate calculations to even the score. It is intrigue, of the political and conversational kind, with deliberate dialogue and very little action. It is a look inside Capitol Hill, the power mongers, and the pawns, and particularly at one man, a Majority Whip, who is the master manipulator.

If you have ever watched an HBO series, at least since the Sopranos, you know what to expect: High quality acting, well-crafted dialogue, twisting plotlines, and adult content. Watching this series it is no surprise that HBO tried to outbid Netflix to bring it to the audiences.

From it’s first two episodes it is clear that Netflix made a good choice in their first project. David Fincher’s use of shadow, combined with his adept mastery of focus and depth of field helps portray a scene in a way that builds tension. The darkness that lingers at the edge of the screen, and the things left unfocused in the back of the scene, play with the mind of the viewer. It is as if the intrigue of non-violent political acts is a knife that waits just out of sight, setting the stage of unease and anticipation.

Mr. Spacey is more of a sinister knave, than a representative from South Carolina. His southern drawl, his perfectly manicured hair, and his ever so pleasing grin hide something else. I wondered at times if I had been fooled, and this was no tale of white-collar revenge, but a sinister secret waiting to be delivered in the final moments of an American Psycho like tale.

I have now sped through 9 of the first 12 episodes. And it is a delight to be able to enjoy this sort of tale, in the binge-viewing way that has become the norm. Ever since TV to DVD I have hoped for the day when I can simply subscribe to a show, and partake of it as I will. And the day is now. Netflix has done well.

 

 

Breakthrough Novel Award Contest

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prooafaf raders..

prooofee readers..

ProoF Readers…

Editors are badly needed. I am a creative writer. Not much of a punctual, critical, structured, or otherwise explicit writer.

I am not ashamed of this. Some of us have different gifts. I feel mine is with the breaking apart, the tearing down, the rearrangement of the English language. I have stories to tell. Dammit. And I want to tell them my own way.

But sometimes, when writing a novel, for young adults… Well you have to be more careful. You have to make sure that tenses, punctuation, and grammar is all in line.

And that is okay.

I hired an editor for Tales 1. She was great on content. Not so great on line. I have been told here and there that I need to have another line editor clean up the typos and the little things.

I am okay with that.

It hurts my pride at first. I get defensive. But it is good to hear. And I will learn from it. One of the best things about publishing digitally is that an upload is but a click away. I can republish in a moments notice. I don’t have too many paper copies left in this run. The benefits of the modern age.

Anyway. I will come back to that soon.

Today I entered Amazon’s breakthrough novel award. It is an amazing opportunity. Basically you can win a publishing award, mass publicity, and the support of Amazon. Why wouldn’t an indie author attempt it! It is limited to 10,000 entries and closes this Friday. I reccomend you jump on it. Check it out here – Breakthrough Novel Award 2013.

Here is the pitch I sent them. It is probably in need of a proof reader…

Avery and Adam aren’t ordinary. They have always stood out from the other children in their village. Ever since they floated into the village, when they were still too young to talk.

If they are to find out who they are, they must step outside their sheltered existence. Travel into the dangerous and unknown desert, discover mythic beasts, and fulfill a legend.

And that is only the beginning.

When Adam opens a long hidden scroll, he finds a tale, a clue, as to who he is and where he must go. From this one small twist of fate comes another, a magical sword that works only for him. Before he can share his tale, with his younger brother Avery, their village is attacked. It is only as the two narrowly escape that they begin to learn of a force, a great evil, which they must stop. For if they don’t, all they love, and all they have ever known, will be destroyed.

A Tale of Two Brothers is a tale of brotherly love, courage, and the ability of youth to overcome any obstacle. It is a journey in a fantastic world, with mysterious sorcerers, pirates who sail the sandy dunes, and a cunning warrior princess. It is an adventure that has long been waiting to be told…

Love to all and to all a good night.

C

Triple 7

I was tagged and asked to participate in a special bit of blog fun. Twitter is excellent for these sorts of things. The idea created by @Chris_Ledbetter (his is here at The Oracle and The Muse) and is a fun take on the “choose a page, read…” concept.

Basically what you do is: Go to either page 7 or 77 of your manuscript. Count down 7 lines, then copy the next 7 lines to your status. After that, name 7 more authors to participate.

Special thanks to @intheAMDay for inviting me to participate! Check out her 7-7-7 Meme at The Throne of Olympus

From A Tale of Two Brothers Page 77:

“…the dazzling display of the sword that would be his, that was enough to give him pause. He had never beheld anything so beautiful, or dangerous, as the scimitar that seemed to beckon for his touch. He ached to grab it, put his hands on its smooth handle and raise it from the chest. But he hesitated, he was almost afraid of what would happen if he did.”

Pick up on Amazon and read more!

And look forward to more from these followers! Tag you are it!

@ByEmmCole @aprilmreign @vgrefer @cldavieswriter @AuthorTerryReid @TomBielawski @GraemeIng

The Hobbit – An unexpected review… of sorts.

The Hobbit – An Unexpected Journey

I took the missus out the other night. Usually we use this time to escape the screen. Having an ambitious toddler in the house means we watch far too much television. After she has gone to bed. After the house is quiet. After the energy is gone. What we usually do is sit on the couch, zone out on our phones, with something on in the background. We talk. We read. We relax.

So on nights that we are free, we usually choose to step outside of our pattern. We avoid the theater, or things that can be done with a sleeping baby on your lap. Like go out to nice bars. Or meet up with friends. Or other… inappropriate things…

But for the Hobbit we chose to spend our evening in the dark, in a quiet theater, with 3D glasses upon our noses.

3D is another thing we usually avoid. It’s a gimmick. A tired and old ploy to pull more money for something I quite honestly could do without. But our time was limited, and it was the only showing. It was even recorded in a high frame rate. It’s another technology gimmick. A way to make the viewer think they are seeing something special. To put it simply it makes everyone look as if they are moving at a strange speed. Not every advancement is ideal.

But we lived with it. We sat through all 2 hours and 45 minutes of the fantasy world. A dive back into the world Tolkien put onto the page, and that Peter Jackson last brought to the screen in the Lord of the Rings.

Visiting Middle Earth is always a treat. Its magical mysteries have always pulled me in far more than any other fantasy. I remember reading the trilogy, by the light of a lamp, late at night, after my father had gone to bed. I wasn’t sure if he would want me reading it… I feared he wouldn’t. He didn’t appreciate fantasy books. He thought they would rot my mind. I hid the books under the cushions of the couch in the mornings, hoping they wouldn’t be found. I had borrowed them from a friend and didn’t want to be forced to hand them back before I had devoured every last word.

They captivated me at that young age, and again when I read them as an adult. Fantasy was never my favorite genre, but the stories of Tolkien weren’t simply a fairy tale. They were an adventure, a fable, a grand tale. They inspired me more than I knew until the first story I wrote ended up set in a fantasy world.

So watching the Hobbit was a journey home. A comforting bubble of escapism. I didn’t need the third dimension to enter Bag End, or smell-o-vision to capture the feast that the dwarves consumed, or surround sound to hear Gollum hack up his lung. I had already heard, and seen, and smelt the sensations of the hobbit world. I had already ventured forth many times and experienced the adventure while turning the pages of a book in the late of the evening.

But still I loved seeing it live. I liked to see how others imagined what I already knew. I like to see the actors upon the stage, portraying old friends, and enemies. I reveled in the spectacle, the sights and the sounds. It was all over too quickly.

As we left the theater I could still hear the clashing of swords, the songs of the dwarves, and the taste of butter from the popcorn I had consumed.

As I squeezed my wife’s hand, and got into our car, I realized we had shared the same thing. It wasn’t just a book we had each read and imagined. But a real, almost tangible thing was the silver screen. Something special in the medium, that adds to, and does not subtract from, the original priceless experience.

I love reading. And I love a good book made into a good movie. It’s a rare find. Go see the Hobbit. It’s worth the time.

C

“/>I have to use this post as a thank you to Brandy Coro...

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I have to use this post as a thank you to Brandy Corona for her review of my book. She took the time to read and to review. And I am honored.

Her site is a great place to find good reads. She is articulate, to the point, and honest.

I find it amazing that she is a full time mother and has the time to keep up such a great site.

http://bookwormbrandy.blogspot.com/20...

Moms.

They are truly amazing.

I don’t think I have been very vocal about just how amazing these women are. I think of my own mother. Her never ending desire to treat her children right. Take care of her home. And run a business besides. She loves and cares for others more than anyone I’ve ever met.

My wife.

Now a mother. A gifted and talented one. More than I could have ever imagined. She lays her own life down for the good of our daughter and for me on a daily basis. Over and over again… I love her more than anyone I have ever known.

Every mother I know. Mother-in-law, sister, sister-in-laws, aunts, friends… They all deserve a five star review. The next time you see one remember what they do… they hold humanity’s future in their very arms. Honor them.

C.

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I have to use this post as a thank you to Brandy Corona for her review of my book. She took the time to read and to review. And I am honored.

Her site is a great place to find good reads. She is articulate, to the point, and honest.

I find it amazing that she is a full time mother and has the time to keep up such a great site.

http://bookwormbrandy.blogspot.com/20...

Moms.

They are truly amazing.

I don’t think I have been very vocal about just how amazing these women are. I think of my own mother. Her never ending desire to treat her children right. Take care of her home. And run a business besides. She loves and cares for others more than anyone I’ve ever met.

My wife.

Now a mother. A gifted and talented one. More than I could have ever imagined. She lays her own life down for the good of our daughter and for me on a daily basis. Over and over again… I love her more than anyone I have ever known.

Every mother I know. Mother-in-law, sister, sister-in-laws, aunts, friends… They all deserve a five star review. The next time you see one remember what they do… they hold humanity’s future in their very arms. Honor them.

C.

Featured. Favorited. Flawed.

Featured.

I have determined to write less on here about my book. Self-promotion, while necessary, is akin to spam if it is used too often.

Having said that I have been featured on a great site: http://www.iamareader.com/2013/01/a-t...

Read it. Enter the giveaway and share!

Now.

Back to what I was saying:

I don’t want to pester. I have other things to say.

I promise to vary my blog posts.

I will feature other books. Other writers. Other subjects.

Not today. I have to write another blog for our travel site. http://andthreetogo.wordpress.com

Wow.

There I went and did it again.

Check back here next week. I am going to write something new. I promise.

One last piece… A teaser of sorts…

From book 2: A Tale of Green Cities

Carleia:

“Before she could recover, he was upon her. The flames leapt around her in the darkness. His flaming hands gripped her wrists and pulled her upright. He slammed her against the wall, and she felt a binding spell cast upon her, leaving her captive.”

C.

The will to write

Today I wrote a guest piece on another illustrious writer’s page. That writer happens to be my wife, and it isn’t really a guest piece but a part of an ongoing contribution. So I sort of lied. Or led astray… or what have you.

The important part is that you check out the blog. It is a part of the journey we are starting. It is an undertaking. It is a leap of faith.

It is overwhelming.

But every great journey begins with a moment of gut wrenching agony. If it’s easy, safe, a sure thing… well you might want to rearrange your life. You are headed for possible calamity.

And with none of the thrilling moments to give gratitude for…

But read the rest of my inner dialogue expressed upon the page over here → http://andthreetogo.wordpress.com.

What I have to say upon this page is that nothing worth doing is easy. I struggled hard to deliver A Tale of Two Brother’s into the hands of the readers. I suffered mental anguish, strained eyes, and many wasted hours.

Wasted. Hours.

I languished. I hesitated. I have a gift. I wasted it for many, many days.

Writing comes to me… I feel for it. I yearn for it. It makes my fingers bleed.

But I don’t do it…

I talk about it. I think about it. I lose sleep over it.

But to put my hands onto the keyboard, or to pull the pen across paper… It is a physical pain that echoes through my bones.

And that means it is essential that I persevere.

For nothing worth doing is painless…

The man upon the sea, ropes cutting through his hands, explores new worlds.

The woman, pulling her facial covering aside, pushes past the hatred to silence fear.

The child, pulling itself up from the floor after a fall, takes another excited step forward.

They push through. They do what they love. They do what they must.

And though the reward is far away… it does come.

My first book is doing well. For I have lots of supportive friends and family. I am expecting bad reviews. I am expecting the disdain of the grammar Nazis. I am expecting the punctuation police to tear through my work.

But I persevere. I must. For there is an exciting new world ahead. And the fear will only keep me from stepping forward.

Write on friends. Write on.

C

Now… Go read http://andthreetogo.wordpress.com

Next Big Thing – Book blog tour

I have been fortunate enough to be asked to participate in a book blog tour by the illustrious Emm Cole. (http://emmcole.com) Her book “Merminia” is a unique and exciting tale of Mermaids and magic. I am almost half way through and can tell you that I have never read anything like it. It is an exciting tale and one that I can recommend you read! http://amzn.com/B008VJ938C

Next Big Thing Book Blog Tour:

1) What is the title of your book?

The title is Tales of Terrezial – A Tale of Two Brothers. It is the first in a series of nine books. Each one follows the adventures of two brothers, and their friends, as they explore the land of Terrezial.

2) Where did the idea come from for your book?

It came from a desire to tell a story about the bond shared between brothers, friends, and family. At first it was a children’s book about two brothers who had no idea where they came from or who their parents were. The idea was to have a short picture book set in a fairy tale land, with pirates, mythical creatures and bright, beautiful illustrations. From there it continued to grow… and the boys along with it. I was reading Dune, and the idea of a sand filled land that was desolate and destroyed intrigued me. So the idea of the how the world changed, who had caused it, and what part the boys could do to redeem it became the real story.

3) What genre does your book fall under?

Adventure. It is set in a fantasy world, and written primarily for young adults, but it is and will always be an adventure story first.

4) Which actors would you chose to play in your movie rendition?

I have written every scene with the score playing in my head, and picturing how it would look upon the screen… That being said, the characters all have such strong personalities I have a hard time thinking of an actor who could play them. Though there is a character called The Stranger… and I think Christian Bale would be fantastic…

5) What is the one sentence synopsis of your book?

A tale of two brothers, a warrior princess, and their journey to fulfill a legend that has been waiting…

6) Is your book self-publish or represented by an agency?

I decided to forego the traditional route of agency/publisher. It has been a struggle financially, motivationally, and is mentally exhausting. But I feel that the potential rewards of self-publishing will outweigh the negatives in the end. I have always been a self-starter and the indie book world is very new and exciting!

7) How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

I wrote the first official rough draft over a year. Many nights after work, while living abroad, hunched over my computer and drowning out the rest of the world with a song.

8) Who or what inspired you to write the book?

There are so many… I love writing, have always wanted to write many stories. I am the oldest brother of 7 children and my siblings’ antics were definitely an influence. However, there were two young brothers, my best friends children, that hold a special place in this story. I wanted to write it for them when they were very little… and now they are much older… I hope the story grows with them.

10) What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

Do you love grand adventure? Do you love mystery, legends, and fantasy? Do you like pirates, and great ships, and mythical creatures? Or how about a warrior princess? There is an adventure to be had, if you will turn the page, and discover the world of Terrezial.

Tales will be told…

Check back in a week or two and visit more sites that will be listed below!

Quickie…

Several new things I wanted to share really quickly with you..

1: I am running a contest. For a signed and delivered copy of A Tale of Two Brothers. Link to this. Share this. Email this. For an entry! http://t.co/t3M8i3dk

2: I am part of a book blog tour. Interview to go up next week. In the meantime check out this awesome author’s site! http://www.emmcole.com

She’s written an awesome and original story on Mermaids!

3: Work will continue on the second book soon! I am fleshing out some major details… Also I have another story I might play with for a while. Short. Post it online.

4: Got picked up for another review site… Interview and review up sometime during the week of January 3rd! Will share more once it’s up!

5: Thank you all for the follows, mentions, love, and support. I am very blessed.

C