tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54903505015819889132024-08-30T01:03:16.964-07:00The graphics are a significant upgrade from the Prince of Persia that was on the Apple computer, but they are not amazing. Players will experience the game on a two dimensional environment (ala Castlevania). You will encounter a myriad of trapped doors, hazardous spikes, and deadly blades. Jumping from platform to platform makes up a great deal of the gameplay (too much for my taste)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00142201074448838064noreply@blogger.comBlogger268125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5490350501581988913.post-2563377125241756382012-04-07T08:40:00.000-07:002012-04-07T08:41:10.472-07:00

It's that time of year again, when Edward Copeland, hardest-working man in Film Blogdom, puts together another Oscar survey. This year, the extravaganza of second-guessing extends to the Best Actor category. Which five performances represent the best the film world had to offer? With which five did the Academy get it forehead-smackingly wrong? The Siren has compiled her list, and you should too.

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00142201074448838064noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5490350501581988913.post-73234037482381471902010-09-02T11:42:00.001-07:002012-04-07T08:43:05.241-07:00

You've heard me say this before, but it could stand repeating. It's that important.I just paid someone to kick my ass.Today was my first day with Justen, my personal trainer. He's a nice guy - tall, good looking, quiet spoken - and he gave me an ass whoopin'. And, leave it to me to find a trainer who has published a novel.I did squats, crunches, push ups, worked with weights and weight machines.

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00142201074448838064noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5490350501581988913.post-11841049183632465972010-09-02T11:40:00.001-07:002012-04-07T08:45:39.546-07:00

I never got around to posting the Friday Flashback yesterday, so I'm doing it today. Now, I know I come across as this total rocker girl, and I am. But, I have a secret side of me that absolutely loves Christian rock. I do not talk about my faith on my blog, but I have crazy mad love for my God.I know these songs do not fit into the flashback category, but I'm really missing my mom today, and

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00142201074448838064noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5490350501581988913.post-53303976348310064172010-08-30T11:02:00.001-07:002012-04-07T08:45:17.002-07:00

Murder in Vein, the first book in my new Fang-In-Cheek mystery series, is now LIVE on Amazon and BN.com – nearly 4 weeks early! This means it should reach brick and mortar stores in the next few weeks.Hard Cover Edition Update - Murder In Vein is also coming out in a limited hard cover edition! A first for me and for Midnight Ink! For those of you who would like the hard cover edition, it will be

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00142201074448838064noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5490350501581988913.post-31918448732068886902010-08-30T11:00:00.000-07:002010-08-30T11:01:00.681-07:00

As you all know, I love TV. But of all the shows I watch, my guilty pleasure is America’s Got Talent. Really. I watch it. Every sappy, scary, embarrassing moment. I wallow in joy watching people following their dream, whatever it may be, just as I follow mine of being a novelist. I don’t watch American Idol at all. I prefer America’s Got Talent. Yes, it’s cheesier and more bizarre in its range of

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00142201074448838064noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5490350501581988913.post-48972361373537246542010-08-30T10:57:00.000-07:002010-08-30T10:59:04.631-07:00

What do you see when you look at this picture?When I look at that picture, this is what I see.I do not see the blossoming young woman, I see my little girl. And I guess that's why I tend to overreact at times...like last night. Scene Girl's “boyfriend” (the boy makes me gag, just so ya know) was over and the two of them were sitting on the front steps talking...or so I thought. I'm no dummy,

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00142201074448838064noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5490350501581988913.post-38623513506923865852010-08-30T09:07:00.001-07:002010-08-30T09:11:03.949-07:00

Next weekend I will be speaking at the Julian Library. This is a very exciting and important event for me. You see, Ghost à la Mode, the first Ghost of Granny Apples mystery, takes place in Julian. In fact, Granny herself hails from the small historical town in the mountains north of San Diego.If you live in Southern California, Julian is a fun place for a relaxing weekend or even a day trip. So

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00142201074448838064noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5490350501581988913.post-63063454934401332382010-08-30T09:07:00.000-07:002010-08-30T09:08:18.854-07:00

When the presents are all opened and the leftovers packed away, one special memory this Christmas will be the joy of having seen the film of the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. (Fans of the old Houston Christmas Pageant, there is a Christmas balm in Narnia.)It was spectacular! Rather than analyze it from some theological, philosophical, cinematic or other serious, thoughtful perspective, I

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00142201074448838064noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5490350501581988913.post-5585893191097105172010-08-30T08:58:00.002-07:002010-08-30T09:02:41.709-07:00

"Mr. Wales, it seems we must take back that job offer we extended last week.""Why?""We've had a policy change since that time." The lady digs through a stack of papers, looking for something."A policy change?""Yes. It's your criminal record, Mr. Wales.""What criminal record?""It seems you have had a speeding ticket."And with that, the Katy ISD is now closed to me. What job was I denied? School

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00142201074448838064noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5490350501581988913.post-75699987536917871472010-08-30T08:58:00.001-07:002010-08-30T09:00:50.934-07:00

American Idol beat coverage of the Olympics almost two-to-one? How can that be?American Idol is better television, that's how. I have friends who look down their noses at the show--friends who can't sing, of course, and have never auditioned for anything. But what they seem to be mocking is the show's tame, family-friendly nature. Of course, that a show lacks a shooting, a surgery, or an autopsy

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00142201074448838064noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5490350501581988913.post-83183516993988758232010-08-30T08:58:00.000-07:002010-08-30T08:58:34.551-07:00

Dennis waxed poetic, so I thought I would indulge. These are my thoughts on someone who for me will always be larger than life.Few of my friends' dads were both as feared and loved as ours--kind of like a drill sergeant. (They called him "Clint," after the Dirty Harry movies--and not just for the once - obvious physical resemblance.) None of the kids in the neighborhood liked to annoy him, but

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00142201074448838064noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5490350501581988913.post-28964607312792943732010-08-22T10:09:00.003-07:002010-08-22T10:23:14.798-07:00

And you thought they only had kiddie rides at Disney World! Looks like they might have something mama could ride, too!Sheeving!

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00142201074448838064noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5490350501581988913.post-30935505447465733272010-08-22T10:09:00.002-07:002010-08-22T10:15:12.045-07:00

Back by popular demand, the trio of Bill Fitzhugh, Laura Levine and I will be reprising our dog and pony show: Stop! You’re Killing Me! An evening with L.A.’s funniest mystery authors.The three of us have appeared on panels at several libraries now and we're going to keep doing it until we get it right. That's all there is to itBut this time it's not a dress rehearsal. This time it's going to be

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00142201074448838064noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5490350501581988913.post-56631702233003630102010-08-22T10:09:00.001-07:002010-08-22T10:13:00.958-07:00

I'm dishing out TOUGH LOVE for new and aspiring writers over at Inkspot today. Drop on by!

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00142201074448838064noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5490350501581988913.post-46132228164001445712010-08-22T10:09:00.000-07:002010-08-22T10:11:18.739-07:00

No matter where I travel to, it's always good to return home. Arrived back late last night and spent almost two hours digging through piled up e-mails and assuring the cats I was home to stay... at least for a month. This was the first trip I've taken in years where I didn't check my e-mail once! It was quite liberating. The AlphaSmart performed like a champ and I got lots of writing done. Will

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00142201074448838064noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5490350501581988913.post-88006255333176942012010-08-20T13:55:00.000-07:002010-08-19T09:11:46.070-07:00

When it comes to Internet squabbles, the Siren has been on the wagon for a while, give or take an occasional flare-up.And then she comes across something like this, where the inimitable Jeffrey Wells does a "respectful takedown" of Douglas Sirk using, of all things, the director's masterpiece, Imitation of Life.Now the proper thing to do is make like Clark Gable: "I apologize again for my

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00142201074448838064noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5490350501581988913.post-50113229250080830522010-08-20T05:33:00.000-07:002010-08-19T09:10:30.147-07:00

The Siren has just one link today, to a piece by Kim Morgan about her stint at the Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festival. This year Kim presented, among other things, He Ran All the Way, the final film of the great John Garfield, and spoke with Garfield's fabulous daughter Julie. The Siren shares Kim's evangelical fervor on the subject of Garfield's greatness, and since Kim admits to repeating herself

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00142201074448838064noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5490350501581988913.post-54170417905129001982010-08-18T03:03:00.000-07:002010-08-19T08:47:47.340-07:00

The Siren has long had a mutual admiration society going with Dennis Cozzalio of the most excellent Sergio Leone and the Infield Fly Rule, despite such obstacles as living on opposite coasts and the Siren's lack of affinity for, well, you know. But even though we reside in a Web world when it's easy to ignite a blog war over, say, whether a movie about a weedy-looking twentysomething vanquishing

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00142201074448838064noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5490350501581988913.post-55362964975215143482010-08-15T08:28:00.000-07:002010-08-19T08:49:01.604-07:00

As she's mentioned approximately 1,348 times in various social media, the Siren is off to Paris today for a visit with the in-laws. The Siren hates air travel--how heretical of her--but comforts herself with the notion that she could have in-laws in, say, Phenix City, Ala., a town where her father used to try cases and come back muttering that the movie flattered the place. (The Siren hastens to

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00142201074448838064noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5490350501581988913.post-41384575685277683752010-08-09T05:55:00.000-07:002010-08-19T08:50:32.344-07:00

Just yesterday, before either one of us had heard of 84-year-old Patricia Neal's death in Martha's Vineyard, the Siren was having an email exchange with a friend about Breakfast at Tiffany's, and the new book about it by Sam Wasson. And the Siren mentioned that one of her several problems with the film is the treatment of Neal's character, a rich woman paying George Peppard's every bill while he

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00142201074448838064noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5490350501581988913.post-79607413008686926892010-08-07T09:24:00.000-07:002010-08-30T10:56:31.442-07:00

The awesomely talented Amanda Hocking is having a fantastic giveaway on her blog. Rush over to win her complete My Blood Approves series!

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00142201074448838064noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5490350501581988913.post-36838270424863538942010-08-05T16:33:00.000-07:002010-08-19T08:51:28.476-07:00

Historical movies fall into one of three categories. Some strive for meticulous accuracy, some leaven accuracy with a few liberties. Then there are those that frankly don't give a damn beyond costumes and sets--and so it was with Affairs of Cellini, the 1934 Gregory La Cava film. This odd comedic swashbuckler sits right near the start of the director's great run of films up to 1941's Unfinished

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00142201074448838064noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5490350501581988913.post-62098313688535458972010-08-03T23:38:00.000-07:002010-08-03T23:41:50.841-07:00

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00142201074448838064noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5490350501581988913.post-50225835363006449092010-08-03T23:25:00.001-07:002010-08-03T23:26:19.282-07:00

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00142201074448838064noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5490350501581988913.post-55625619530031689452010-07-24T05:54:00.000-07:002010-08-19T08:43:35.331-07:00

The Siren's Dazzling Better Half (that gentleman having informed her, with finality, that he does not wish to be called Mr. Anything) is out of town, and this never does her movie viewing any favors nor, frankly, her mood. So where to turn when skies are gray, the projected high in New York City is 97 degrees Fahrenheit, and you say you are blue? To Carole Lombard, that's who.Courtesy of Anita

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00142201074448838064noreply@blogger.com