Reese Ryan Romance

Colorful characters. Sinfully sweet romance.

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In-depth Interview with Indie Author M. Malone

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One More Day by Minx MaloneOutside of writing fiction, one of the things I enjoy most is doing author interviews. First, there’s the excitement of getting to know authors whose work and accomplishments I personally admire. Then there is the thrill of introducing readers to an author they might not have read otherwise. As a reader I’m interested in their characters, stories, and what inspired them. As a novelist I sit as a student at the feet of masters, hoping to glean some knowledge that I can use in my own work and career. My recent interview with Minx Malone is no exception.

As an author of contemporary romance featuring multicultural characters that don’t quite fit into the typical “check here” box, I’m a huge fan of Minx Malone. Recently I had a chance to get the skinny on her current contemporary romance series–The Alexanders–and a chance to ask this hugely successful indie author about the inspiration for her stories and why going indie was right for her. She also gave us a glimpse into what she has planned for the future, and her writing process.

Join me over at the Contemporary Romance Café for an in-depth chat over coffee with indie publishing rock star, M. Malone.

Y is for Yellow

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I can’t believe how long ago it was when I first heard the song “Yellow” by Coldplay. I liked the song, but wasn’t exactly sold on the group. But by the time their next album, A Rush of Blood to the Head, came out I purchased it and was a hardcore Coldplay fan. (Well, not as hardcore as my neighbor. It’s the only album he listens to apparently. Ever.)

Recently I took advantage of my Amazon Prime account and watched Coldplay Live 2012. So now, of course, I’m obsessed with the idea of flying to a European country to watch the group perform live, and darnit, I really want one of the glowing bracelets. Like really.

Who are your favorite bands? Which musicians are on your To Be Seen list?

W is for The Words (The Movie)

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Bradley Cooper and Zoe Saldana in The Words

The Words is a complex, layered tale. A story within a story within a story. I admit that the ending left me confused with more questions than answers. Still, I enjoyed the ride just the same.

Bradley Cooper plays Rory a writer who is struggling to make his mark in the literary world. He’s newly married, in debt to his father who has been supporting his habit as a writer, and forced to take a corporate job. When his wife, Dora, played by Zoe Saldana, buys him a lovely, old leather satchel during their honeymoon in Paris, he discovers a manuscript inside. It’s the most beautiful thing he’s ever read and he decides to type the entire story, in the hopes that it will inspire his own work. When Dora discovers the manuscript on his computer and mistakes it for his work, Rory doesn’t have the courage to tell her the truth. It is the first false step down a  rocky path of lies and deception.

This is one of those films people seem to love or hate. Some critics have proclaimed it ambitious or preachy. But I loved it, and I thought Bradley Cooper, Zoe Saldana, Jeremy Irons, Ben Barnes, Nora Arnezeder were quite brilliant. I found the third storyline with Dennis Quaid and Olivia Wilde distracting and confusing. However, I loved the first two threads enough to overlook the third.

Did you see The Words? If so, what did you think of it? Do you like books and movies that incorporate clever, ambitious story elements as this one does? If so, which one is your favorite?

Publicity photo from The Words.

V is for Villain (Best Movie Villains of All Time)

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Leonardo DiCaprio as Calvin Candie in Django Unchained.What would the heroes we love–James Bond, Ethan Hunt, Sherlock Holmes, and James West (YES, I said James West) be without the villains who made them shine–Goldfinger, Owen Davies, Professor Moriarity, and Dr. Loveless?

The video below is one of countless lists compiled of the greatest movie villains of all time. Many of my choices were on the list, including Javier Bardem as Anton Chigurh in No Country for Old Men (that was a seriously creepy, weird film), Kathy Bates as Annie Wilkes in Misery (I grab my knee caps every time I think of her), Margaret Hamilton as the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz, Daniel Day-Lewis as Bill the Butcher Cutting in Gangs of New York, and Heath Ledger as The Joker in The Dark Knight.

There are a few I’d add to the list. Javier Bardem–proving he is a masterful at portraying complicated, creepy villains–for his role as Silva in the most recent James Bond film, Skyfall. Daniel Day-Lewis for his role as Daniel Plainview in There Will Be Blood (I don’t care if he was the protagonist, that guy was definitely a villain). Sean Penn as Mickey Cohen in Gangster Squad (Shivering, just thinking about the opening scene). Leonardo Dicaprio as Calvin Candie in Django Unchained. 

Who are your favorite villains of all time? Why do we love to hate them?

Publicity photo from Django Unchained.

 

T is for Timer (The Movie)

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I saw a review for the movie, Timer, on another blogger’s site several months ago. (Sorry! I can’t remember who it was.) She included the trailer, below. Immediately I was intrigued. A rom-com with a touch of science fiction and angsty characters? I was hooked. So I added the movie to my Blockbuster queue and forgot about it.

TimerPosterThen it arrived. My husband gave me the usual “Not another chick flick” eyeroll. But I was excited. More excited than I’d been about the arrival of a movie in awhile. I put it on the speaker next to the TV and went about my day, figuring I’d watch it over the weekend. Only that was three or four weekends ago.

So finally, after a little pouting from GQ because I was hogging up the Blockbuster movie queue with my unwatchable girly flicks (my words, not his) I decided to watch the movie. And I wasn’t disappointed.

The story of smart, anxious orthodontist Ooma (Emma Caufield) and her family was sweet, funny, and made me think. How would we approach life differently if life, love, or success came with a guarantee?

I have a thing for movies that examine alternate realities, like Butterfly Effect and Sliding Doors. And while this movie didn’t follow alternate possibilities, I couldn’t help but think in terms of them the entire time.

In addition to an interesting plot the movie is filled with deliciously flawed characters who make all degrees of questionable choices. Yet, we know enough about them to understand their behavior and still care about them.

The movie didn’t end the way I hoped, but that was okay. Because Ooma’s actions were in line with her character and I could understand the decision she didn’t make.

The story made me laugh, cry, and think. Most of all, it made me a little envious. I want to tell stories like that.

Have you seen the movie? If so, what did you think? What kind of stories do you enjoy reading, watching, or spinning?

Note: This post originally appeared on my old blog, Mindful Banter.

P is for Pentameter by the Jazz Quintet Chroma

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Pentameter by ChromaOne of the things I love about social media is discovering topics, people, music, and books I might not have learned about otherwise. That’s what happened when saxophonist, composer, and educator, Brian Plautz of Chroma, followed me on Twitter a few weeks ago.

During the past month while I’ve been doing a lot of writing and revising I’ve shifted to a heavy rotation of jazz. So finding the album Pentameter by Chroma was simply perfect.

Chroma is a jazz quintet that features Plautz on sax, Alex Conroy on guitar, Joel Hill on piano, Brian Benton on bass, and Matt Raphaelian on drums. Pentameter features original jazz compositions with a melodic contemporary sound that also reminds me of jazz greats like Grover Washington and Joe Sample. I honestly can’t tell you enough how much I love this album, or how many times I’ve listened to it. The creative muse definitely approves.

Listen to the album below, or get your own copy. It’s available on Bandcamp where you can name your price. (Tip: Listen to all the tracks a few times first. Once you appreciate the melodic sound and pure genius of the compositions, you just might be feeling a bit more generous.)

What are you currently listening to?

N is for New Adult

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TheEdgeofNeverbyJARedmerskiNew adult is a trend in fiction that has caught fire in the past year or so. The first new adult romance I read was J.A. Redmerski’s book, The Edge of Never. I absolutely loved the story of Camryn and Andrew and am eagerly awaiting the release of The Edge of Always which will be told primarily from Andrew’s point of view.

But, what is new adult? Even many writers are still asking this question. Many have said it’s simple YA with sex. Not true. New adult fiction targets college-age readers and has a heroine about the same age, while the hero is sometimes a little older. The books deal with very adult themes and the sensuality level gets pretty hot. In fact, many could be categorized as erotic romance. The genre also doesn’t hold to the more rigid restrictions of romance. Many opt for a happy-for-now (HFN) ending, rather than a happily ever after (HEA) one. Also, since many of these top new adult authors published their books as indies, they aren’t bound by many of the rules that publishers and editors often impose on writers. Many writers–and obviously readers–find this refreshing.

Below is a video from Nightline in which Juju Chang talks to new adult fiction fans, and three new adult indie authors who’ve made a huge splash in publishing, including Colleen Hoover, the author of Slammed.

Have you read new adult? What do you think of the trend? Is it here to stay? Who are your favorite new adult authors?

K is for the Kevin Hayden Trio

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One of the few things I’d say I inherited from my father is his love of music. I fondly remember sitting on the couch in our living room while he played one album after another. He was a big jazz fan so I listened to lots of Grover Washington, The Crusaders, Miles Davis, Joe Sample, and Nina Simone. But he also introduced me to my all-time favorite band–Earth, Wind & Fire–and numerous other musicians.

Illegal Playlist nowAs soon as I was old enough to buy my own records I began to build a collection of 45s. (I had a stack of those little yellow inserts.) Every time I got my allowance I was plotting which record I’d purchase next. But my love for music quickly blossomed and I developed an eclectic musical palate. What am I listening to? Depends on the day or my mood. One day it’s Neo Soul–Maxwell, Jill Scott, Ledisi, Musiq, and India.Aarie. The next it’s adult alternative. Later that day I’m listening to rock, or classical.

The beauty of liking so many genres is that it multiplies your chances of discovering something new. Lately, I’ve been on a serious jazz kick, prompted by another group which we’ll meet when we hit the letter P. But today I’m introducing you to another jazz group I met recently via Twitter–The Kevin Hayden Trio. Kevin Hayden is a drummer/producer/composer and the band is based in Milwaukee. (Shout out to the Midwest!). Love their sound. It’s everything I love about classic jazz, but with a unique contemporary twist. My favorite track is “Ice in the Sun.” Six minutes and nineteen seconds of pure listening pleasure. My dad would love it. I can envision him sitting in his favorite spot on the couch, eyes closed, head nodding to the music. And that makes me happy.

Sample the album below, or visit their website here to get your very own copy of Illegal Playlist. 

What are your favorite music genres? Which artists would you like to introduce us to?

H is for Hindsight (or The 20/20 Experience)

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Life is full of tough decisions and everyday choices that can ultimately change the course of our lives or the lives of others. We ponder some decisions long and hard, yet still make the wrong choice. After the smoke clears, the right choice–the one we should have made–becomes glaringly evident.

Ahh…the beauty of hindsight.

The 20/20 Experience - Justin TimberlakeSo we don’t always make the right choices, and yeah…sometimes we royally eff things up. But the important thing is that we learn the lessons in life that every interaction, every consequence, every relationship is designed to teach us and use that information to make better decisions going forward.

Artists tend to take the lessons of hindsight a bit further, using them as inspiration for fictional tales, to create deliciously-flawed characters, or to write songs with which listeners easily identify. Justin Timberlake’s latest effort, The 20/20 Experience is my current obsession. (My husband and son are this close to staging a hunger strike if I play it aloud again.) There are a myriad of reasons I love this album. Just to name a few:

  • It’s classic JT, but from the more mature perspective of a man who has made some mistakes and learned some lessons.
  • The entire album is pretty much a heart-melting love letter to his wife. (Swoon.)
  • He and producer, Timbaland are a match made in artistic heaven.
  • Several of the songs have a classic funk sound. (Remember when people used actual bands who played actual instruments? People still do that.  Here’s proof.)
  • I love that half the songs on the album are essentially two different songs. (See my post on Fusion to explain this illness.)

Thankfully we’ve moved beyond the little 45s I spun in my room growing up because this the tracks “Pusher Love Girl,” “Spaceship Coupe,” and “That Girl” would be completely worn out by now.  You can listen to the entire album below.

What are some of the best lessons you’ve learned in hindsight? Are there some lessons that can only be learned this way? What do you think?

 

E is for Ebert and Elementary #AtoZChallenge

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Farewell Roger Ebert

A quick nod to Pullitzer Prize-winning movie critic, Roger Ebert, who died yesterday. I’ve been watching Roger Ebert share his insightful movie reviews from his balcony since the days of Siskel & Ebert at the Movies. They were magic together and I loved watching them dissect a film–whether they loved it or hated. I’ll admit I got a little thrill out of it when one hated a film as passionately as the other loved it. It taught me that art is truly subjective and that even brilliant minds disagree.

Roger Ebert is as firmly rooted in the history of Hollywood as many actors and directors, and is far more memorable than most of the movies he reviewed. He will be missed. Today both thumbs are at half-mast.

 

Elementary, My Dear Watson

If you’ve been here more than once, you know I have a deep and abiding love for flawed, damaged characters. However, the danger with flawed characters is that they tread a perilous line between likability and utter loathing. In extreme cases the character’s flaws descend into full-scale buffoonery or an intolerable lack of consideration for others.  For instance, I was a fan of the USA series Monk at first. But after awhile I found his treatment of his assistant, Natalie, intolerable, and felt like his countless phobias had become the central theme of the show with each gag going on far too long.

Elementary -- Jonny Lee Miller plays Sherlock Holmes and Lucy Liu plays Dr. Joan Watson.Enter Jonnie Lee Miller’s portrayal of famed detective Sherlock Holmes in the CBS drama, Elementary. A famous, drug-addicted detective with innumerable quirks and a tendency to be brusque is ripe for treading on the side of utter loathing. Initially I gave the show a shot because I have fond memories of staying up late, as a little girl, to watch Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce portray the brilliant, but socially-inept detective and his affable sidekick, respectively. I also found the idea of Sherlock Holmes being given a modern twist–including making the Watson character a woman–completely intriguing.

I watched the first episode, but wasn’t completely sold. I had serious doubts whether I could tolerate Sherlock’s behavior. Still, I was interested enough to watch the next episode, and the next. Each case was complicated, with unexpected twists. More importantly, I grew fonder of the main characters.

Sherlock Holmes – Portayed by Jonnie Lee Miller

A star consultant for Scotland Yard, Holmes falls out of favor after descending into a drug habit and being forced into rehab. He comes to Manhattan where Captain Gregson (portrayed by Aiden Quinn) is familiar with his work and allows him to serve as a consultant on NYPD cases. Sherlock’s father–a man who is never seen, but is, and has always been, detached from his son–insists that Holmes live with a sober companion following his release from rehab and relocation to New York City.

Dr. Joan Watson – Portrayed by Lucy Liu

Dr. Joan Watson was a brilliant surgeon until she lost her patient, her confidence, and her license to practice medicine three years ago. She finds solace in her new career–serving as a companion to recovering addicts. Still, she is painfully aware that her family and friends disapprove of her choice and believe she is simply hiding out from life.

Both characters have tragic pasts that drive their behavior and thinking in very different ways. However, over the course of this first season we’ve watched the growth and development of both Holmes and Watson, and the evolution of their complex relationship. From the beginning Watson became increasingly invested in her charge as her admiration for his brilliance grew. However, bit by bit Holmes began to recognize Watson’s unique abilities. More importantly, we’ve watched as he reluctantly began to care for her. He demonstrates his concern in subtle ways, but because of the insight we’ve been given into his character each act speaks volumes.

Have you seen Elementary? Do you love it or hate it? Who are your favorite damaged characters and why?