All Seems Right in TV Land

I admittedly watch a lot of television. A LOT.


Last night's round of shows brought great joy. First up, GLEE! I absolutely love this show...the fact that it showcases (in a fairly positive light) the "creative" kids in school versus the jocks or preps or whatever other name you may have for the popular, cool kids is the best thing about this new hit. I find myself waiting each week to see what new and popular song they're gonna tackle and change up and make sound better than it does on the radio. And like all soaps (yes, even though it's on at night, it's still a soap!) there's the overly melodramatic drama of who's dating whom and which character hates which. Love it!


And our course there's the Tuesday night staple that is American Idol. I admit that when this season began, it didn't hold much promise: Ellen being a new judge scared me (but she's awesome as a talk-show host!), and the talent didn't seem to stand out like years past (think Carrie Underwood and Chris Daughtry). Thankfully I was wrong.


Ellen seems to be holding her own. She reminds me a bit of Paula in that she tries to be nice even when she's not being nice, so I like that. And the talent has definitely improved. With the exception of Crystal Bowersox, who's been amazing since she first opened her mouth, the rest of the group has come a long way. Even Tim Urban, the last-minute replacement, has raised his performance level. Overall, the show last night was a good one.


And that brings me to a long-time favorite of mine: LOST.


This show has been at the top of my list since the first episode. Outstanding special effects (did you see that plane crash!) and super-cool story line (press the button every 108 seconds or we all die!), this show had everything going for it.


Notice I said had. A couple of seasons ago things seemed to veer to the south just a bit. Too much of this and not enough of that made the show a tad annoying. But I stuck it out and I'm so glad I did. This season LOST is back, and it just keeps getting better each week! I won't go into a full-episode review, click here for that. I just wanted to say that I'm so glad Jack and Claire finally got to acknowledge that they're brother and sister! The way-too-short scene in the jungle between the two was very touching. It only took what, 5 years? 'Bout time.


I have yet to watch V (gotta love DVR!), but I'm hoping that with the other great shows I watched last night it's not a disappointment.


Any shows you're interested in? What's your favorite?

Your Chance to Win!!

Just found this great contest by Cindy Pon that you should check out!  Click here or paste this link in your browser...


http://cindypon.com/2010/tgifbm-black-hole-sun-and-paranormalcy/


Go forth and enter to win a couple of really cool looking ARCs!

Dark Places

Just wanted to mention a great book - "Dark Places" by Gillian Flynn. Check out her website at http://www.gillian-flynn.com/ for her bio (which is cool) and another of her excellent books, "Sharp Objects".


If you can handle some adult subject matter, "Dark Places" is an awesome book. Amazing writing with very creative description that doesn't overpower the story, which is well developed.


The main character, Libby Day, is the sole survivor of a massacre who grows up under the eye of the public and without the proper guidance or support to handle what happened to her family when she was a child. Her brother is fingered as the killer by her and spends his life behind bars while Libby tries to deal with her new life.


Enter a secret "Kill Club" who likes to delve into true crimes that approaches Libby with questions about her testimony all those years ago. After prompting questions, Libby begins to wonder about her brother's guilt. To avoid giving away anything, I'll just say that the truth finally comes out and it's a shock - to Libby AND to the reader.


This novel isn't very long, but by no means a quick read. It pulls you in from the beginning with it's short, precise sentences and excellent pacing. You immediately begin to care for the characters - especially Libby and the horrendous trauma she experienced. With chapters written from the point of view of both Libby's mom and her brother on that horrible day, you find yourself caring about them as well.


"Dark Places" is recommended as a great mystery with spot-on writing, perfect pacing, and excellent characters...enjoy!

Bowling for Kids

Tomorrow I'll be bowling with my coworkers for the annual Big Brothers Big Sisters' Bowl for Kids' Sake. If you're in Pensacola, FL (and you happen to read this!) then come on out to Liberty Lanes and show your support! It's a great cause that is also a lot of fun!

And so it begins...

Well today marks the first day of my blog. This is all very new to me...I don't know much about computers other than turning them on and surfing the internet. It took me nearly an hour just to set this up! But I digress.


I've decided after several years of trying to become a published writer (let's face it...everyone who can write is a writer, so being published is the only difference!) and getting nowhere that I would take the plunge and put myself out into the virtual world. This not only marks the first day of my blogging life, but it is also the first time I've told anyone else that I want to be a writer. "Major Step" is an understatement.


Back in high school - and yeah it's been a few years - I won a couple of writing contests and even received a Creative Writing scholarship to college, so the talent has always been there. Over the past decade or so I've buried that talent beneath random jobs and HUGE mistakes and just plain Life. Now I've decided it's time to dust off said talent and see if it can still hold a shine!


So anyway, that's where I stand: alone and nervous and hoping that opening my eyes to the virtual world of writerdom will set free my strangled muse...maybe she hasn't choked on ten years of rubbish!