Bella Street Romance Goes Retro

Skyline certainly isn't the worst movie I've seen--it had its moments (see below), and felt more like a glorified music video than sci-fi film. But it's more 'meh' than 'grr'. And sometimes something comes along that actually brings a little improvement. So allow me to recommend the version of Skyline you should see...from a genius called Tobuscus . And because I can never resist a Twilight parody ...

Move along Simon Cowell, nuthin' to see here. This X Factor doesn't have singing and dancing (see The Z Word ) or snarky commentators, but it might have aliens. Priorities, people. The second novel in the Apocalypse Babes series finds Seffy and her friends, along with a few other lost L.A. stragglers, ensconced in a compound that may or may not be run by evil Soviet scientists. Whether it's due to Bolshevik beliefs or a manipulating girlfriend, nightmares are on the loose and they want what's left of Seffy after the zombie attack. To make matters worse, one of the stragglers develops an unwanted attraction to Sef, and insists it's more than just UST à la Mulder and Scully. The X Factor is now available at Smashwords and Kindle . Don't forget to check my website and enter my contest . Somebody's got to end up wearing pink velour, and it simply can't be Simon!

Sarah is one of my Almost Famous crit partners and I'm so pleased to host her here and let her share about her newest title, Techo Crazed ... Thank you for having me here today, Bella! Techno Crazed is by no means the first thing I’ve ever written. That novella, Jungle Heat , is coming out at the end of next month. *grins* But anyways, I wrote Techno Crazed in January, so it’s one of my most recent projects. But back to the point... First of all, it’s important to keep writing and moving on to the next manuscript once you’ve finished something. It can be hard to let go of a story you’ve written and edited over and over, and you should definitely send it out on submission, but I can say the two most helpful things I’ve done in getting published is writing a lot and finding a fantastic critique partner, Kinley Baker . She helped bring my skills to a whole new level. Something to consider when you look for a critique partner(s) is to find someone on, or close, the same ...

What really attracted me to this books was the cover. I'm such a sucker for good covers--so much so that I bought this hardcover without knowing a thing about it. I got my money's worth. Evernight started quietly, lulled me into a gauzy world of familiar teenage angst and slightly Gothic weirdness, then grabbed me by the, er, throat. I usually do not have time to relax and enjoy a book. This one didn't let me go. I had to finish it. Bianca and Lucas are compelling three-dimensional characters, joined by a whole supporting cast of Gargoyley goodness. I'm thrilled to know there are several more books in the series. Because like any...tasty morsel...it's always nice to know there are more where that came from!

Super 8 , bottom line, is a great movie. The cast was incredible--I mean these kids acted their hearts out. The story had heart and soul and poignancy. The pacing, cinematography, direction were absolutely top-notch. But what really left an impression on me was the nostalgia the film evoked. It was like watching E.T , Close Encounters of the Third Kind , and Poltergeist all over again. It was like watching a Spielberg film. That JJ Abrams--the director and writer for Super 8 --was influenced by Spielberg was obvious (and not just because Spielberg produced it). But it also had his own touch--smoothing some of the cheesy edges Spielberg had a weakness for. There was also the slightly annoying Spielberg meme of 'aliens, nice--military, bad' (my thoughts on aliens are closer to Mars Attacks! ), but overall, it had that feeling that Spielberg evoked so well--that there was no place you'd rather be but in a darkened theater, glorying in a rockin' movie, and wondering ...

Now available at Smashwords for zip, zero, nada . I'll be starting a contest promotion on July 6th, so if you leave a comment or review or share about The Z Word in any way, save and send me links starting on 7/6/11 for entries. Details coming up. For now, I hope you enjoy the first in a series described thusly: It's been said that a sure sign of the coming apocalypse is an 80s roller skate disco movie coming to DVD (with special features). In my science-fiction novel series Apocalypse Babes, a stylish group of twenty-something friends are torn from the Babylonian arms of 2006 West Hollywood and flung nearly thirty years into the past. It might be because one of them purchased the taboo film in a nostalgic moment, setting off a chain of events more disturbing than a roller skating conga line. They wake up in an apocalyptic but strangely familiar landscape, complete with a hidden mountain compound and retro survivalists, hinting at hidden and retro secrets they must face i...

I've heard a lot about Meg Cabot, but have not actually read any of her books. While I love YA, I always figured her stuff would skew a bit young for me. I picked up Abandon because I love Greek mythology, especially about Persephone (see my upcoming book which also is given the Persephone treatment). The story follows 17 year-old Pierce Oliveria (Pierce because she pierces the Underworld? Oliveria because it sounds like an olive branch that she holds out to the Lord of the Underworld? Enquiring minds want to know) who lives on the Island of Bones (Isla Huesos) and has recently come back from the dead. She's left with strange memories of a dark, scarred guy who directs the dearly departed onto boats that most assuredly do not have a Lido deck. Pierce also returns with a diamond necklace that gives mood rings a run for their money, and a huge aversion for tassles. The book is written in a flashbacky stream-of-consciousness style, but you have to follow closely becau...