February 25, 2013

A. Lee Martinez and ROBOTS VERSUS SLIME MONSTERS

Robots Versus Slime Monsters by A Lee MartinezDallas author, A. Lee Martinez, has decided to answer the call of his fans and publish a sequel, sort of. Instead of one sequel dealing with only one world, he will publish an anthology with ten short stories, each dealing with characters or settings from his novels. Since interest is not that great in the publishing arena when it comes to anthologies, he’s decided to run a Kickstarter project to help fund it. It will be published in softcover and e-book. As with all Kickstarter projects, all levels of help bring about some perks, so go by and check them out and help A. Lee Martinez bring this great idea to fruition.

ROBOTS VERSUS SLIME MONSTERS on Kickstarter! 

Books by A. Lee Martinez

Gil's All Fright Diner

In the Company of Ogres

A Nameless Witch

The Automatic Detective

Too Many Curses

Monster

Divine Misfortune

Chasing the Moon

Emperor Mollusk versus The Sinister Brain

(Upcoming) Helen and Troy's Epic Road Quest

February 22, 2013

Furries Descend Upon Addison–Furry Fiesta 2013

The Crowne Plaza Hotel in Addison will be hosting the Furry Fiesta 2013 this weekend, February 22-24, 2013. If you are into dressing up as walking, talking animals or like drawing, writing, or singing about them, then this may be your show. I have not and will not be able to attend, but I have seen some Furries at other cons. It can be a little off-putting when you walk up on a 7 foot wolf. I mean, how do you start a conversation with without sounding like an idiot? lol In the meantime, check out the Furry Fiesta 2013 link for times, prices, and guests.

Any Furries out there going to check it out? Let me know what you did and send me pictures!

Furry Fiesta 2013 banner

February 19, 2013

Movie Review: A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD

Being the fifth installment in the John McClane saga, A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD does not disappoint.

Die-Hard-5-Yeepi-K-Mother-Russia-movieWhen the movie teasers first started coming out, I got a little worried. With things like, “Yippee Ki-Yay, Mother Russia,” and the fact that they were in Russia, I was afraid of the plot and how wrong this might go. But it was Bruce Willis and a lot of action scenes, so I thought I’d give it a chance. From beginning to end, it is one giant action scene that will have you wincing in one spot and whooping out loud in another. So much damage was dealt that I thought they were trying to break the Avenger’s record. Watch Marvel’s THE AVENGERS, if you haven’t already, and you’ll see what I’m talking about.

The acting, which in these movies doesn’t always have to be Oscar worthy, was pretty top-notch. Bruce and Jai Courtney, playing McClane’s son, really made a convincing father-son team, but . . . they were handed some lines that sounded a little forced. Even Bruce was dropping one-liners like he had a bag full of them in tow. At times, it seemed a little campy. If you’ve ever seen the Dr. Pepper commercial with the “action star,” then you get it. Even the Russians get into it. But in the end, it’s not so bad as to ruin it. Komarov is played by Sebastian Koch, and very well, I may add. The twists at the end are handled wonderfully by his acting.

On the production side of the movie, I would have to say that, at times, the movie seemed to be filmed a little too frantically. I know that an action movie has to have movement, but there are times that I couldn’t follow the action at all because of the movement of the camera. The audio could have been mixed a little better, because in parts, I actually missed some of the dialogue because it was drowned out by gun shots or motor noise from the movie. Again, this is not something that would lead me to not watch the movie, just be slightly irritated at points.

Over all, the movie is a rocket ride of fun! Funny, fast, and explosive just like any DIE HARD MOVIE  should be, so go check it out and tell me what you thought!

February 16, 2013

ConDFW XII in Addison This Weekend

ConDFW is in full swing at the Crowne Plaza Dallas/Galleria this weekend. Officially kicking off on Friday, but not having a full day of programming until Saturday, it is a bridge between science and fiction.
ConDFW is a literary science fiction and fantasy convention featuring programming focused on writing and publishing, science programming, excellent guests, art show, charity book swap, short story contest, and a slew of non-traditional activities such as the Sci-Fi Spelling Bee. Brought to you by the Texas Speculative Fiction Association, a 501 (c)(3) organization. 100% volunteer-run. ~www.condfw.org
Comic artist Brian Stelfreeze and Jo Walton, science fiction/fantasy author, are in attendance in addition to many panels, led by other esteemed guests. Room parties, educational panels, book signings, and a dealer's room (where your's truly can be found) are just some of the things to do!

February 8, 2013

Scifi Expo Saturday & Sunday With New Guest Additions

This announcement is a little late getting out due to a family crisis, but here we are with new additions to the guest list! Scifi Expo has added Lea Thompson, Billy Boyd, William Sanderson, Glenn Morshower, Gil Gerard, Emma Bell, Claudia Wells, and Katrina Hill! Look for video, photos, and updates on Twitter over the weekend.

***UPDATES***