Books to curl up with: GOOD MONDAY MORNING

Books to curl up with: GOOD MONDAY MORNING: Good Monday all . today I have a great book for you all . If you like mysteries and detective novels this would be a good one to read . SACR...

GOOD MONDAY MORNING

Good Monday all . today I have a great book for you all . If you like mysteries and detective novels this would be a good one to read . SACRIFICE OF INNOCENCE by Allison Cosgrove


                            BOOK BLURB 

     A cult has been killing children for its rituals and only one cop knows who they are. Detective Stan Brookshire knows but his past keeps people from believing in him. Can he rise above the stigma that shrouds his past and stop a cult from taking yet another innocent child from her mother’s arms before it’s too late?

                             MY REVIEW 

    I was intrigued when I found this book. I love a really good detective book so I took the chance and man I am so glad I did . This book had me hooked from the very first chapter . I mean who doesn't like a good crime novel where there is a cult and a detective they want gone and do everything in their power it disgrace him. Stan Brookshire is out to figure out what is happening , after 4 children are abducted and murdered. The task force is set up to figure out what is happening . Will Stan and the rest of the team figure out who is doing the killing and will they save the last girl kidnapped 

   I adored the characters in this book they are well written and complex . Stan is your average guy , has his demons and works too hard . He is you basic battle scarred police officer but he can do his job and do it well.  You see how he works when he is trying to figure everything out . He is such a good guy and you will cheer for him as he starts to put the pieces together . Jane is his straightforward no nonsense partner . She is the calm for his crazy and keeps him going . She is strong and sensible . I really liked her , she keeps everyone calm and doesn't believe half of what is going on even from the hospital . The rest of the characters are both good and evil , you have to keep your eyes out for the bad guys you can't believe who one of them is . They are so well written you will love them all 

    This book had me up all night reading , I couldn't put the book down . I needed to find out if everyone would come out ok. The author has a way of taking you to places you didn't think you would go . The story is complex and the characters are awesome.  The only thing I wish the author would of done is expand on the cult just a little bit more , give us a little bit of the history . Other then that this is a fast paced book that will keep you reading all night long . So if you like detective thrillers check it out , I am headed off to get book two . So check it out .

 

Books to curl up with: GOOD FRIDAY THE 13TH ALL

Books to curl up with: GOOD FRIDAY THE 13TH ALL:    Sitting on a tree stump watching them film their last scene in the latest film . Hey Emir thank you for joining me today Thanks f...

GOOD FRIDAY THE 13TH ALL

   Sitting on a tree stump watching them film their last scene in the latest film .

Hey Emir thank you for joining me today
Thanks for having me

 Tells us a bit about yourself
 

Well, let’s see, my name is Emir. I’m 30 years old. I was actually born in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina and I lived there until I was 13. Then I moved to USA with my parents and my sister. I’ve been living in Buffalo, NY, since 2002. I’m a huge animal rights advocate, and that’s one of the reasons I’m a vegetarian.

Besides writing, I also make films.

I’m married to an amazing woman, and my number one supporter, Nicole. We have 2 dogs and 2 cats and they are all rescues.

Tell us a little about your writing style 

I take a cinematic approach. I guess that comes from my experience in film. I want to make it as if the people are reading a movie. Everything is fast paced, epic and what not. This can be both good or bad hahaha.

Your books make people think what kind of research do you do to get ready to write

I generally read up on a subject before I start writing. I also listen to relevant music to get myself in the mood (for example, extreme metal music is my forte)

Do you read your reviews and what do you do when you get a bad one

I do read them, of course. And sure, the bad ones get me down but that’s only for a moment.  My wife is there to tell me that it’s alright and to push through. It’s tough you know, seeing something you made get shredded, but that’s life. The good reviews make up for it.

You are also a filmmaker . how does that help you in writing

I see things differently. It also adds a level of visual effect. I write my stuff extremely graphic and that comes from my films. I like everything to be in your face kind of thing, the blood, the body parts haha etc.

Which do you like better the film making process or writing a book .

I’d say both. With writing, you sort of get to push the boundaries. In books, there’s no budget. You can write whatever you wish, however wild. The films, eh, that’s where the money comes in and that’s a limit sometimes, your constraint. 

 Your films are very visual and have really dark themes . What made you decide to do such dark horror films

I wonder this myself. I did grow up in a war-torn country so I’d say that has something to do with it. I’m not going to lie, I get depressed very easily, like a light switch, at which point, everything sucks, everything is doom and gloom and all you want to do is drink and sleep. Making such graphic films and writing the books, that’s my outlet, a cathartic fantasy world.

 How many films have you made and how are they received with the public

Oh, damn, I’d say truly, 5 features and about a dozen shorts. Reception varied. Some were better received than others. You have to remember, I make them with a very loyal and tight crew but we make them for 0, nil, zip, zero dollars. So that’s not everyone’s cup of tea. But there is a great underground indie audience that loves the films that we make.

laughing ok now back to books .

 If there was one thing you could do as a teenager to help you become a better writer / filmmaker . What would it be

Take more writing courses, forget about everything else and just focus on writing and film workshops. I’d start earlier. If I had the knowledge I do now, life would have been easier.

Do you hide things in your books that people will read and go ah ha

Haha yes, occasionally. I’ll name certain characters or say things that my cat’s friends would say (yes I made up imaginary friends for my cat and they are all either drug addicts or con artists) and I’d get a chuckle out of my wife.

Do you believe in writers block

Hell yeah I do hahaha It sucks, but you push through it. Everyone has their way.

NOW FOR SOME FUN QUESTIONS

COFFEE TEA OR OTHER

Coffee runs through my veins. My body is like a pot, then when it goes stale, it flushes through and I replenish.

FAVOURITE SNACK FOOD

Definitely Chips and salsa/cheese

ALL TIME FAVOURITE MOVIE

Definitely Gladiator

IF YOU HAD A SUPER POWER WHAT WOULD IT BE

I guess Healing Power, so I could heal all the animals.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST

What piece of advice would you give any aspiring writer and or filmmaker .

This is a tough one, but definitely…don’t give up. I have to hear this on a daily basis. Don’t give up. It’s easier said than done, but whatever you do, don’t give up on your dreams. Don’t be stuck living someone else’s life. Do what you love and don’t let anyone tell you you can’t do something. Keep writing and success will follow.

and where can we stalk you at

https://www.facebook.com/EmirSkalonja/



Books to curl up with: HAPPY TUESDAY ALL

Books to curl up with: HAPPY TUESDAY ALL: OMG I am squealing here , I was so excited to see that Alice Hoffman has written a prequel to the fabulous book Pratical magic. RULES OF...

HAPPY TUESDAY ALL

OMG I am squealing here , I was so excited to see that Alice Hoffman has written a prequel to the fabulous book Pratical magic. RULES OF MAGIC is out and reading for you Halloween reading .

                         BOOK BLURB 

            

From beloved author Alice Hoffman comes the spellbinding prequel to her bestseller, Practical Magic.

Find your magic.

For the Owens family, love is a curse that began in 1620, when Maria Owens was charged with witchery for loving the wrong man.

Hundreds of years later, in New York City at the cusp of the sixties, when the whole world is about to change, Susanna Owens knows that her three children are dangerously unique. Difficult Franny, with skin as pale as milk and blood red hair, shy and beautiful Jet, who can read other people’s thoughts, and charismatic Vincent, who began looking for trouble on the day he could walk.

From the start Susanna sets down rules for her children: No walking in the moonlight, no red shoes, no wearing black, no cats, no crows, no candles, no books about magic. And most importantly, never, ever, fall in love. But when her children visit their Aunt Isabelle, in the small Massachusetts town where the Owens family has been blamed for everything that has ever gone wrong, they uncover family secrets and begin to understand the truth of who they are. Back in New York City each begins a risky journey as they try to escape the family curse.

The Owens children cannot escape love even if they try, just as they cannot escape the pains of the human heart. The two beautiful sisters will grow up to be the revered, and sometimes feared, aunts in Practical Magic, while Vincent, their beloved brother, will leave an unexpected legacy. Thrilling and exquisite, real and fantastical, The Rules of Magic is a story about the power of love reminding us that the only remedy for being human is to be true to yourself.

                        MY REVIEW 

    I so squealed when I saw that there was a prequel to the Practical Magic book . Rules of Magic is all about the aunts when they were younger let me introduce you all to Frany. Jet and their brother Vincent . They are living in New York at the beginning of the sixties . Their mother Susanna has strict rules for them, no wearing red shoes , no books on magic , no going out after dark and the big one NO FALLING IN LOVE . But after a trip to their aunts in Massachusetts . Things have changed that sends each of them on a journey to find what they truly are and to find the love that they all want . 

     This book had me hooked from the very first page . I have always wanted to know what made the aunts the way they are and how they grew up .  The characters are well written and complex . One moment you love them and the next minute you want to strangle all three of them .  I think Vincent is the most complicated of all the characters in this book . He doesn't really know where he belongs , he is an out cast that is dabbling in dark magic . He doesn't really know what he is doing but you start to care for him and want what is best for him . Franny is so strong willed and she is the tough one of the three of them . She sometimes is a little frail and not real sure of herself . She is also a little quirky in her own way . Jet is the sweet soulful daughter , she can read peoples minds and is so shy . All she wants is love and to be loved . Each of their journeys will keep you on the edge of your seat as you read 

    This book was such a great read . I love the way the author writes . She writes with such a passion , you can't help but get carried away in her story telling . The characters are great and the story is heart warming and funny . You will laugh and cry for each of characters and their stories . If you liked Practical magic you will love RULES OF MAGIC . 

Books to curl up with: HAPPY RELEASE DAY J.D BROWN

Books to curl up with: HAPPY RELEASE DAY J.D BROWN:  HAPPY RELEASE DAY  today DARK ASCENSION by J.D Brown is out .                          BOOK BLURB    When one king falls, ano...