K.D. Pryor's Blog, page 3

Favorite Old Movies

Photo courtesy of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Brea...

What is your favorite old movie and what makes it so special to you?

Many of us have favorite movies from the past, whether they be from our past or a more distant past. Old movies can evoke personal memories and feelings of nostalgia for by-gone days.

I have favorite old movies from my childhood and I especially remember Disney movies and drive-in theaters with my parents and brother. We’d snuggle into the car as a family, eat popcorn, and slip into the world of Walt Disney fantasy for an hour or two. As a teenager and young adult in the 1980′s, I loved John Hughes movies. My favorite was The Breakfast Club, and I still like to watch it, now with my own kids. We also enjoyed watching Ferris Bueller’s Day Off together and I discovered that kids today can relate to the character’s experiences in both of these movies, even almost thirty years after they were released.

All the great movies of my personal past notwithstanding, my favorite “old movies” are ones that are even older than me. Ones from the 1940′s and 1950′s. When the mode of dress and style of speech were just a bit different from now. When a good mystery was creepy and suspenseful without lots of blood and gore. When there was a bit more elegance and formality. When actors like Cary Grant, Rita Hayworth, Clark Gable, and Fred Astaire were in their prime.

I got to indulge in my love of old movies when I wrote The Portal’s Choice and call it research. Part of the plot of the book involves characters who died in 1948 and who escape from the spirit realm seeking revenge for their violent deaths. When those ghosts entered the story they needed to sound like they would have in 1948, when they died. I used other forms of research to find old words and terms to make my characters sound realistic. But I wanted to hear how those words were used, what the proper context was for each phrase.  The movies weren’t only fun to watch, I really paid attention to the language used. I was then better able to create realistic dialogue for my characters.

Fun research movies from the 1940′s

In the picture are some of the movies I watched for my research. The genres spanned family type stories like Andy Hardy  and The Bachelor and The Bobby-Soxer to more suspenseful tales. I  referenced the classic, Gilda, a tense love triangle starring Rita Hayworth, in The Portal’s Choice.  All of the movies were enjoyable and all of them grabbed my imagination, taking me along on the journey with the characters.

I’m on the lookout for ways to do more movie research as I write the next books in The Gatekeeper’s of Em’pyrean series.

Book Goodies Interview Today

An author interview of me is up on Book Goodies today. You can read the interview at http://bookgoodies.com/category/reading-room/interviews/ and check out the huge selection of books being featured on the site. 

The Portal’s Choice is Free Today. Get your copy on Kindle.

The Portal’s Choice is free today, August 9, on Kindle. Get your copy at http://amzn.to/15yoO2R

The Portal’s Choice is Free Tomorrow, August 9!!

The Portal’s Choice is Free this Friday, August 9, on Amazon Kindle.

Not only is The Portal’s Choice blasting to different blog sites each day as part of the Pump up Your Book Blast, but it will be free tomorrow. Be sure to get your copy. And check out the Book Blast Schedule for today, tomorrow and next week, below.

Thursday, August 8 – Literary Winner

Thursday, August 8 – Mom With a Kindle

Friday, August 9 – My Devotional Thoughts

Friday, August 9 – Inside BJ’s Head

———–

Monday, August 12 – Mary’s Cup of Tea

Monday, August 12 – Laurie’s Thoughts and Reviews

Tuesday, August 13 – Rainy Days and Pajamas

Wednesday, August 14 – Books Books the Magical Fruit

Thursday, August 15 – Must Read Faster

Friday, August 16 – The Busy Mom’s Daily

———–

Beautiful Vintage Aprons

Yesterday, between a couple of appointments, I decided to venture into the consignment shops near my home. My youngest son was with me. He wasn’t too thrilled at first with what I thought was a great idea. But, he warmed up in the end. And he even found something he wanted.

I went in search of old plates and linens to spice up my meals. I had fun looking, but I didn’t find exactly what I was searching  for. I did, however, find two vintage aprons that I instantly felt compelled to purchase. I think one of my characters, Tallis’ Aunt Gabbie, would love these aprons as well. When I got home I went in search of a vintage apron my mother had given me. The style matched perfectly the ones I found while shopping.

Three aprons. My mother gave me the middle one years ago.

In The Portal’s Choice, Gabbie wears aprons because she is a messy cook. I borrowed that from real life – my life. I love aprons because they keep my clothes reasonably clean while I’m cooking and cleaning in the kitchen. But I also love them for more than their practicality. Aprons are so old-fashioned in many ways and there is a part of me that is drawn to the elegance of an earlier, more formal time that a pretty apron suggests. I also appreciate the ritual in my life that donning an apron represents. When I put on an apron I switch roles and begin to prepare a meal for my family. When my family gathers for a meal it is a special time to spend together.

My aprons for every day use aren’t as pretty as the ones I purchased yesterday. They are more practical items that wash easily and are rather plain, except for my favorite one from France that is bright yellow and has a picture of Le Chat Noir on the front. The ones I found yesterday are beautiful, whimsical even, as well as practical. I think Gabbie would approve.

No more shopping for me. It’s time to write. But I’m going in search of more antique and consignment stores soon. I still have to find my old plates.

Happy Reading,

KD

Book Blast Starts Today!

The Portal’s Choice is having a blast this month, a Book Blast to be exact, with Pump Up Your Book. Here is the schedule of stops for The Portal’s Choice.

Monday, August 5 – The Road to Here

Monday, August 5 – Margay Leah Justice

Tuesday, August 6 – The Children’s and Teens’ Book Connection

Wednesday, August 7 – Books and Needlepoint

Wednesday, August 7 – Moonlight Lace & Mayhem

Thursday, August 8 – Literary Winner

Thursday, August 8 – Mom With a Kindle

Friday, August 9 – My Devotional Thoughts

Friday, August 9 – Inside BJ’s Head

———–

Monday, August 12 – Mary’s Cup of Tea

Monday, August 12 – Laurie’s Thoughts and Reviews

Tuesday, August 13 – Rainy Days and Pajamas

Wednesday, August 14 – Books Books the Magical Fruit

Thursday, August 15 – Must Read Faster

Friday, August 16 – The Busy Mom’s Daily

———–

Monday, August 19 – Book Reviews by Dee

Monday, August 19 – Literarily Speaking

Tuesday, August 20 – Authors and Readers Book Corner

Tuesday, August 20 – Miki’s Hope

Wednesday, August 21 – The Dark Phantom

Wednesday, August 21 – Mom in Love With Fiction

Thursday, August 22 – Sidewalk Shoes

Friday, August 23 – Review From Here

———–

Monday, August 26 – Lori’s Reading Corner

Tuesday, August 27 – Beyond the Books

Wednesday, August 28 – The Writer’s Life

Thursday, August 29 – Queen of All She Reads

Friday, August 30 – Janna Shay’s Fair Play

 

Crystal Update with Kimberly Barrett, Crystal Therapy Instructor

From left, Amazonite, Chevron Amethyst, and Blue Apatite

While I was in France, my husband and I happened upon the weekly market in Carnac. I love French markets. They’re bustling, crowded, and loaded with wonderful treats. Besides finding naturally made soap and two fun cotton scarves, I also acquired three new crystals. In the back of my mind I had hoped I’d find some crystals while on vacation. But I wasn’t sure where to look. Eh Voila! The universe brought crystals to me in the form of an informative gentleman with a booth displaying some gorgeous stones that he sources from Madagascar. He had some fabulous examples of my favorite stone, Labradorite, but since I already have several specimens, I chose three new stones to add to my collection.

When I got home, I knew I wanted to chat with my friend, Kimberly Barrett, about my three new crystals because I had a feeling one or more of them might end up in a book. Finally, when both our schedules cleared a bit, we had a chance to get together and here is what I discovered from Kimberly about these lovely stones.

Amazonite

Amazonite merges the air and water elements. This crystal helps us to find, align, and live our personal truth. Amazonite can be used to connect and communicate with Fairies and Nature Spirits and “Stone of Success and Abundance”, attracting focus and good luck.  Amazonite can aid in a peaceful transition when it is time to leave this life.  Amazonite aligns the physical and subtle bodies, and assists in balancing the yin and yang (male and female) energies.

Chevron Amethyst

Chevron Amethyst has three crystals combined into the one stone; quartz, smokey quartz, and amethyst. Chevron Amethyst is one of the best stones to work with the Third-Eye chakra at the eyebrow center because it enhances both intuition and physical vision on all planes of existence.  The stone may be used to help remove resistance to change and to dissipate and repel negativity of all kinds.  Chevron Amethyst is a healing stone and aids in cleansing the aura and enhancing the immune system.

Blue Apatite

Blue Apatite is a high vibration stone and is helpful in developing the physic qualities of clairvoyance, clairaudience, and  clairsentience. This crystal enhances communication and self-expression on all levels. Blue Apatite acts as a good balancer of energies, emotions, chakras, and subtle bodies, as well as the male and female aspects of the self.

 

I love finding crystals new to me to add to my collection and to use in my life. I definitely think one or all of these stones would make great gatekeeper crystals. What about you? What one do you think would work best?

Kimberly in front of a portal in her space

Thanks so much to Kimberly Barrett, Crystal Therapy Instructor.  Kimberly is also a long-time Master Instructor of IET, Magnified Healing, Shambhala and Karuna Reiki and she teaches Earth Healing as well as Crystal Therapies, and more! Kimberly is currently writing a children’s book entitled The Secret Lives of Crystals, teaching children from 4 to 8 about crystals through the use of engaging rhyme. Visit her website http://crystalawakenings.weebly.com/ for more information. You can also find Kimberly on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/KimberlyBarrett.earthsinger

Question and Answer on Candy’s Raves

Check out the blog, Candy’s Raves today for a short Question and Answer post about me. I realize that there may be more thrilling reading out there than a post about me (like even another book about Tallis Challinor which I promise I am working on) but I like Candy’s blog and I think you will too. So check out my Q&A post and the other posts and reviews on her site at Candy’s Raves – book reviews & more. And thanks to Candy and Patty at Candy’s Raves for featuring my interview today.

The Portal’s Choice at Number One in it’s Teen Category on Kindle

Yeah!! The two day free promotion for The Portal’s Choice is going well. There were 858 downloads of the book as of 10 a.m. today and it hit number one in its Kindle Teen category. The Portal’s Choice is free through today, Friday, July 19.

A Great Day for The Portal’s Choice

The Portal’s Choice is free for today (Thursday)and tomorrow (Friday), July 18 and 19, and day one has been wonderful. Over 400 downloads,  currently #1 in the Kindle Teen and Young Adult Horror category, and #19 in Kindle Paranormal Urban category. Thanks to everyone who downloaded a copy. If you don’t have a copy yet, The Portal’s Choice is still free through tomorrow. Get your copy at http://amzn.to/15yoO2R. Please do let me know what you think with an honest review once you’ve read the book. I hope that you enjoy it.

 

Happy Reading,

KD