Defenders of the Covenant ~ Review

Defenders of the Covenant by Angie Lofthouse

Book given to me by author for review.  This does not change my review in any way. 

   

Can Earth be Saved?

Hannah and her friends have been warned about the danger lurking outside of their secret refuge from the alien invaders who devastated Earth years before. The teenagers’ leaders

have raised them in the Latter-day Saint faith, teaching them to trust God, but when McKenzie and her rebellious boyfriend Jeremy decide to run away, Hannah and Derek follow, determined to bring their friends home.

Once outside, the four teens soon realize they cannot return to the refuge without endangering everyone there. Captured, enslaved, and separated, Hannah, Derek, and McKenzie

each learn the unique role they must play in liberating the earth. The friends must battle with android soldiers and attack vessels, and face their own inner struggles to overcome the invaders. After all, not even an alien invasion can stop the work of God

My review: 

Can I just start with saying, I don't like aliens, I don't like sci-fi and honestly, I didn't honestly think I would enjoy this book knowing that it involves both of those things.  

So know that when I say I LOVE THIS BOOK, I really mean it! 

I was hooked immediately,  when I picked the book up, there was no putting it down until I finished.   

From the very first page it was action packed, heart pumping, tear jerking adventure.   

I would specifically point out some of my favorite characters but honestly, I can't choose.  ALL of the characters were believable, and felt like real people.  

Everyone had their own issues and things they had to work through throughout the book.  

Each character was their own person.  

For the amazing Characters, Writing, Story and Spirit of the entire book

Change is coming

I love looking at the comments on my blog and finding that so many of you wonderful followers LOVE my background.  

But for many weeks now I have felt that this blog no longer shows what I want it to show.  This blog began as a small side project next to my writing.  

Well, my blog has become bigger than my writing, I work on it more and it is taking up to much of my time.   I am not getting enough actual NOVEL WRITING done so,  for the next few weeks I will be working on changing the blog.  

I'm not getting rid of it, don't worry.  I couldn't ever do that.  But this blog will have some page changes, the template is going to change and the background is going to better reflect what I love most!  

As a side note, the background has already changed. Please let me know, do you like this current background better than the last one?  What are you thoughts?  (This new one isn't permanent either, just a temporary change) .

Also, I feel that I talk about WAAY too many subjects on here.  Movies, music, my hobbies aside from writing. . . etc SO, I am going to start another blog (possibly two or three) soon.  

I will try to stick with my regular posting schedule but if I do not post on the days my blog says I am suppose to, please forgive me and keep checking back! 

A HUGE Thank you to all of you wonderful Supporters and Fans!  

Applause to those who inspire, encourage and help you!

I am so grateful for all of my followers, friends and supporters.  I appreciate everyone who takes the time to read and comment on my blogs and I make sure to reply to every comment.  My goal is to help every author who comes my way in any way that I can.  I LOVE being able to introduce readers to new books and bringing new fans to authors.

But I think sometimes authors don't get the credit they deserve.  Like, how many people they have helped, inspired and brought into the writing world all together.

So today there are a few people I am going to take the time to tell you about.  And I am going to tell you some pretty amazing things about them.  And hopefully when I have finished, you will have found some more authors you'll end up loving just as much! 

The first person I am going to tell you about, is the one who started a chain of events that has brought me to where I am at today.  

Laurel is a friend whom I spent a lot of time hanging out with.  We met when I was 12 and meeting her was one of the best things that ever happened to me.  A few short months after I turned 13 I decided I wanted to try writing a book.  (Yeah, no one will ever see my first piece of work.) And so I told my great friend Laurel.   And months after that she told me about a group her mother along with eight other women were doing to help young writers get started.  It was exciting but I told her I probably couldn't come due to the fact that I was home-schooled and worked for my parents at their store.  

This brings us to the second wonderful woman.

Karen Hoover:

After I told Laurel I couldn't come to the writing group, I let it go and moved on.  Laurel didn't.  She e-mailed Karen, told her about my situation and what did Karen do?  Took matters into her own hands.  She called my mom, arranged everything and sent me an e-mail with instructions.  (Where the writers group was meeting, what to bring. . . etc).  

If not for Karen Hoover, I would have never gone to that writers group.  If not  for that writing group, I wouldn't be writing this post right now. 

I already knew C. Michelle Jeffries.  But let me tell you, she is incredible and was also very helpful!   

Karen and Michelle got me started, kept me coming and then I met Shanna.  

Shanna helped me with EVERYTHING! I called, e-mailed and talked to her in any form possible at least once a day.  I ALWAYS had questions for her.  I looked up to her, and just LOVED her advice and help.  She never once told me she couldn't help me at the moment or she was "busy" or "go away",  or "you're annoying. I don't want to talk to you" (I'm pretty sure I was really annoying at the time).  

Between these four women, I started going to writers conferences, doing my work and really getting into writing.  During my first time to LTUE, I met Elizabeth Mueller. 

We met, said "Hi", added each other on Facebook and left it at that.  Until I had a really rough time.  I couldn't write, I hadn't written in months!  And it felt horrible.  I was on a schedule and I was really trying to complete my manuscript.  I just wanted to cry! 

Instead I logged onto Facebook.  And there her name was in my chat box.  No one else was online.  So I clicked on her name, opened a conversation and began asking her writing questions!  

After that night, I wrote like crazy and finished my manuscript ahead of time.  

Now, after almost 7 years since it all began, I am so happy to say that 3 out of five of these beautiful women are published.  

Karen got published after trying for 14 years! 

Author of The Wolfchild Saga: 

The Sapphire Flute, 

The Armor of Light

The Emerald Wolf (coming November 2012) 

And 

The Misadventures of a teenage wizard: Two Souls are better than one

Elizabeth got published and I got to be one of her minions! 

Author of Darkspell

And coming next month is C. Michelle Jeffries first published book! 

Author of Emergence (September 2012)

When The Emerald  Wolf is released I will be throwing a HUGE celebration here.  It is gonna be a giveaway party you do not want to miss out on. 

I will also be throwing a blog party in celebration of the release of Emergence.  

More information to come as these events get closer.  

So please, give these wonderful women a hand! Without them, I wouldn't be here.  I can't even imagine how many others they have inspired! 

And I encourage everyone to blog about the people who helped, encouraged and got you writing!  (And come leave the link in the comments so I can check it out). 

Last days of Freedom Giveaway Hop WINNER!

Congratulations to Vonnie Rivera! 

(View original post HERE)
e-mail will be sent shortly.  If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, another winner will be chosen. 

Vonnie gets to choose two of the following books! 

(Click on the titles to read the description for each book on Goodreads!) 

Tigers Curse & The Hourglass Door

Once upon a Marigold & Magyk

Dragon Slippers & Dealing With Dragons

Last Days of Freedom Giveaway Hop! August 17th-22nd

A HUGE Thank you to I am a Reader, Not a Writer and The Elliot Review! 

So. . . what are you doing with your last days of freedom? Well, read a book of course!  (Well. . . that's what I'm doing anyway).  And so, for this giveaway I would like to give you a few of my FAVORITE books ever!  

What you can win:

(Click on the titles to read the description for each book on Goodreads!) 

Tigers Curse & The Hourglass Door

Once upon a Marigold & Magyk

Dragon Slippers & Dealing With Dragons

If you are the winner, you will get to choose two of these AMAZING books!  

This Hop runs August 17th - August 22nd.  

Winner will be chosen at random courtesy of random.org.  US Only-Sorry! (Giveaway ends on the 22nd at midnight.  Winner will be e-mailed and announced shortly after). 

Winner will have 48 hours to respond.  If that time has passed and winner has not replied to my e-mail, another winner will be chosen. (Also by random.)

 To enter: Follow my blog via GFC or E-mail or either one of my Facebook Pages!

CLICK HERE for the Author Facebook Page

&

CLICK HERE for the Blog Facebook Page

 To enter, leave the following information in the comments:

Name:
E-mail:

How you follow:

&

The/A title(s) of your favorite book(s)!

And now, hop along to the other blogs participating!

Project ELE~ A book review

Project ELE by Courtney Nuckels & Rebecca Gober

(This book was given to me by the authors for review.  This does not affect my opinion in anyway). 

Millions have already died, and thousands more are perishing daily. As a last ditch effort to preserve the human race, the government implements Project ELE. With the earth heating at rapid speeds, all remaining survivors are forced to turn to F.E.M.A. shelters to wait out ELE's wrath. 

Fifteen-year-old Willow Mosby's life, as she knows it, ends the moment she walks through the shelter's door. Willow has to quickly adapt to the new challenges that shelter life demands, which includes making new friends and working a full time job.

Soon after making an interesting discovery, Willow and her friends start exhibiting strange abilities. Seeking answers, they embark on a mission to find out what these new abilities mean and whether they are a gift or a curse. 

This new adventure can send her world crashing down around her. The question is: Can Willow survive the fall?

My review: 

Project ELE is not your typical book.  Definitely  not a typical apocalypse story either.  Right from the beginning this books keeps you on edge, at the end of your seat just begging to know more!  The story did get slow in a few places but even then I couldn't stop reading.

The story is intriguing, the writing is good and you connect with the characters immediately.  I did think that Willow's relationship with Alec went a little too fast, Willow had some moments that didn't feel real and there were a few moments that just weren't believable.  But despite all the things I didn't like,  I still LOVE the book and will continue to read more work from Courtney and Rebecca!  *SPOILER ALERT: This book ends with 'To be continued'*  (I almost cried when I read those words because now I HAVE TO KNOW what happened!

I thought about what rating I would give this book and my first response was to give it 3 music notes.  I thought about giving it four music notes and that didn't seam right.  I do LOVE the book.  This was a hard book to give a rating but after much consideration (and unable to give it only 3 music notes, or four whole music notes)  I give it 3.5 dragons!

To connect with the authors and learn more about Project ELE, CLICK HERE! 

Epic things I got last week!

I know, I didn't post last week.  I'm sorry.  I have been super busy and I promise to stay on schedule this week!  And to start this amazing week off, I am sharing pictures of some of the epic things I got last week! 

I got my first sword!  YAY! 

I know I don't talk about this one much but I collect Masks.  :)  I got these two beautiful pieces this week! 

Smiling and Frowning Drama masks.  This is a pendant my sister bought for me and gave to me this week! 

My brother went on a road trip and came back with this for me! (Last week really was an incredible week for me!) 

I bought this beautiful journal that I have wanted FOREVER! 

The details are kinda hard to make out in the picture but my mother gave me this beautiful silver box.  A dragon is on top and another dragon wraps around the sides.  (See, three gifts in one week!)


SEE! And now you can begin to understand why I didn't blog last week!  I really was busy!  Have a great Monday everyone! 

Heroes don't know everything!

I hate reading a book where the good guys know EVERYTHING!  

Examples: 

Need an escape route? Oh hey look, there is a motorcycle! I can drive that! 

I need a weapon. What's that?  There is a sword? Oh yeah, I can fight with that. 

I just saved the damsel in distress and now I'm gonna kiss her! Because I know exactly what I'm doing, our first kiss is the romantic thing ever! 

NO! NO! NO! NO! 

When did our hero learn to drive a motorcycle, fight with a sword and be the best kisser ever?!?!?!.

Guess what! In Harry Potter, Harry had no clue what to do when it came to magic.  

What did he do?  Went to school and learned. 

When Katniss walked into the training arena, guess which weapon she chose?  The Bow and Arrow.  Why? 

Because she already knew how to use it! 

In Lord of the Rings, Frodo is given a ring that he must destroy.  Does he know what to do? NO! 

He asks for help! 

Don't give your characters the knowledge.  Give them the tools to learn. 

I hate reading books where the lead character (woman or man) just know everything.  They never think 'hmmm. . . how do I do this?'.  They just KNOW EVERYTHING and it's horrible.  

Do you know everything?  I don't know everything.  If someone handed me a sword and said "Fight!"  I would probably end up cutting my arm off. 

If I came upon a motorcycle as my only fast way for escape, I would just start running.  No way would I try and drive a motorcycle if I've never been taught how! 

Authors have feelings too!

Authors have feelings too!

This writing tip is for anyone who writes book reviews! 

One thing that I have seen a lot of is really mean bad book reviews.  

Honesty is the most important thing from a book reviewer.  But just because you didn't like the book, doesn't mean that the book is bad.  And if it is, you still don't need to be mean about it.  Authors have feelings just like anyone else and it is painful to hear from readers who don't like their work! So if you are going to write a book review for a book you didn't like, don't tear it apart viciously.  Give the reasons you don't like the book, maybe do a point system for reviews.  

You don't have to give it 5 stars even if you didn't like it.  Be honest, don't be mean.

*Originally posted on Writeaway, a blog that is no longer live.

Paranormalcy Trilogy-Review

Let me just start by saying, these covers are beautiful, but they do not match the character AT ALL! I think Evie wears a formal dress like twice, maybe.  So really, they should have done something more fitting for the covers.  I know that a lot of books have women in fancy dresses on the covers and seriously, if it doesn't go with the story, DON'T DO IT AS THE COVER! 

Anyway, besides that this series is incredible!  You laugh, you cry, you smile, you frown, you yell at Evie (the Main Character) for making mistakes and you totally love and hate some of the characters (at the same time!)  The entire series keeps you up reading until you've read all three books because they are THAT GOOD! 

I read Paranormalcy and Supernaturally both in one evening because I could not put them down.  (Yes, I was very tired the next morning.  But it was worth it!) 

Evie is a believable character who makes mistakes, has major flaws and can seriously irritate you at times. BUT, she over comes, learns from her mistakes and has a freakin' awesome boyfriend.  (But I'm not going to say anymore because I don't want to spoil things for you).

So, the entire series overall rating

If I reviewed each book individually, the first would get 4.5 music notes, the second book would get 4 music notes (This book happened to have a really big cliche that I HATE so it would get fewer music notes).  and the third would get 5 music notes.  The entire series all together gets 5 music notes! 

And putting the writing aside, Kiersten White is an incredible, hilarious author!  If you didn't see it CLICK HERE to see another post where I mention her and how she signed my copy of Paranormalcy.  (It is hilarious!)  

Once you have done that, continue reading because this isn't gonna make any sense until you do.  

I handed Kiersten my copy of Endlessly with a stick note attached with the correct spelling of my name.   She laughed. :)


See?!? Isn't she totally awesome! 

Back from Vacation

My vacation was fantastic!  I had so much fun!  We went to the M&M store, the Cocoa Cola store, the Aquarium in Mandalay Bay, AND I got to see some White Tigers!  (I was thinking of Ren and Kishan from the Tigers Curse series the entire time!)  Take a look!

Ren 1

Ren 2

Ren 2 behind the waterfall

Kishan (Sadly this black tiger is only a statue)

See!  It was awesome!  I really wish Ren and Kishan had transformed for me but I think they were afraid of all the witnesses.  But it was still fun to stop by and say hi to them!  (And if you haven't read the Tigers Curse series and have no idea what I am talking about please CLICK HERE immediately!)

Oh yes! And while I was visiting Ren and Kishan, I got to see this! 

Totally awesome right?!?!?!

So after seeing Ren and Kishan I got to walk through hotels and see some fun stuff including this awesome guy on the ceiling! 

Look at the awesome dragon!  Seriously, I want one! Or two. . . 

AND let me just say, The Venetian is my FAVORITE hotel in Las Vegas!  Look at this beautiful awesomeness! 

I was standing at the top of a waterfall inside the hotel when I took this picture.  A beautiful pond right in front of me and a mask inside a garden down further!

Amd so, Why was I in the Venetian?  Well because I went to see The Phantom of the Opera, of course!

That's right! I  got to go see The Phantom of the Opera before it closes in Vegas in September!  How was it?  Absolutely fantastic!  I LOVED IT! And I cannot wait to go see it on Broadway next year!

This is my 'Phantom' shirt! 




This is a mask I got while in The Venetian/Palazzo!

AND this is a Stuffed Dragon my wonderful Brother (in law) helped me win when we went to Circus Circus! 

Yep, totally one of the best vacations ever! 

Vacation time!

So I'm pretty sure you all know by now that I am a HUGE 'The Phantom of the Opera' fan. . . .

So this shouldn't surprise you, but I am going to Las Vegas today (Friday) and won't be back until Monday. And. . . I get to see 'The Phantom of the Opera' live for the first time ever!  Ahhhh I CAN'T WAIT!  

Anyway,  I will be posting lots of pictures when I get back (I'm buying a couple dragons while I'm there as well) and I will share my wonderful experiences when I get back!  

Soooo. . . Have a good weekend, read lots of awesome books and I will post next week when I get back! 

The Hobbit~ A Review

If you've never heard of The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings series, you've been living in a Hobbit hole! 

The Hobbit- Goodreads blurb:

In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.Written for J.R.R. Tolkien’s own children, The Hobbit met with instant critical acclaim when it was first published in 1937. Now recognized as a timeless classic, this introduction to the hobbit Bilbo Baggins, the wizard Gandalf, Gollum, and the spectacular world of Middle-earth recounts of the adventures of a reluctant hero, a powerful and dangerous ring, and the cruel dragon Smaug the Magnificent. The text in this 372-page paperback edition is based on that first published in Great Britain by Collins Modern Classics (1998), and includes a note on the text by Douglas A. Anderson (2001). Unforgettable!

My Thoughts: 

When I tried to pick a book to do a review for this week I had a hard time deciding.  I've read so many good books recently and I wasn't sure which one I would write about this week.  And then I picked up The Hobbit.  

I've already read it as well as the Lord of the Rings series but I just felt like re-reading it again.  And it has been so long since I last read them that I had forgotten so much about them!  Like how J.R.R Tolkien wrote the books!  I forgot what it felt like to read The Hobbit.  I forgot that it feels like the author is telling the story and it's not just another book.   I also discovered a lot of things that he put in the book that nowadays authors are told to NEVER put in a book.  

Things like, 

*Giving your characters the easy way out, 

*Repeating the same thing over and over and over

*Telling instead of Showing

I could point out a lot more mistakes but I will keep the list small.  

But setting aside all the mistakes I have found, I still give the book Five Musical Notes.  

The story is so intriguing, it's an easy read.  

I've heard from so many people that it is a complicated book to read and follow but I am reading it and I discovered that it really isn't that hard of a book to read! 

One thing I love about the book are all the songs.  When I saw the trailer for The Hobbit part 1: An Unexpected Journey I about cried with joy to see that they put the songs in the movie.  They wrote music for them and the songs will be sung!  

Also, have I mentioned how much I LOVE the actors they got to play in The Hobbit? 

(I think they found the PERFECT Bilbo Baggins)

Not sure?  Haven't seen the trailer?  Go Watch the Trailer!. . .Now! 

Another one of those "Real Life Experiences' vs 'Perfect Movie Moment'

Here is another one of those Movie moments that really didn't turn out like it should have.

  I was told that riding a motorcycle would be really fun.  And of course if you watch any movie where someone is riding a motorcycle, it totally looks awesome, like nothing can go wrong, your hair flies behind you, looking like you belong on the big screen. . . etc.

Yeah well on Friday (7-13-14) I had to ride with my brother on his motorcycle to work.  The ride to work was OK, I couldn't really see because I didn't have sun glasses and the wind was blowing in my face.  My nostrils filled with air and it kinda felt like I was drowning so I had to keep my mouth open so I could breathe.  Even with a helmet, my hair was flying everywhere and I'm pretty sure I made a lot of people laugh with the facial expressions the wind helped me make.

But this is not even the bad part yet.  No, no.  

You see, the ride home was HORRIBLE!  For the first half of the ride home, it was much like the ride to work.  But then we hit this wall of icy cold air and from there on out it gets bad.  Again, without glasses I was forced to close my eyes almost the entire time.  And this wouldn't be such a problem except I have to be able to lean when the driver leans so that we don't get into an accident.  And even if I could have seen, I still wouldn't have been able to lean because the wind was rocking me back and forth like I was a plastic bag.  

AND to top all of that off, I was soaking wet because it started raining on us.  And not only was it raining, but because we were on a motorcycle, the rain was BEATING us.  Hitting like tiny rocks.  They stung and were cold.  So I was being tossed about, freezing cold, soaking wet and being beaten by rain drops.  Yeah. . . what part of Big Screen Ready did the weather not understand?  

So again, Hollywood has failed me and let's just say, I never want to ride a motorcycle again.  

The only good thing that came out of this, is I can now realistically write about what it feels like to ride a motorcycle.  So if I ever have a character who rides a motorcycle, I will be able to perfectly describe what it feels like. 

Why I love Loki/ Tom Hiddleston- *Avengers Spoilers*

Have you ever fallen in love with a villain?  I mean the ACTUAL villain of the show/book?  I don't mean you just sorta kinda like how the villain works or looks or what he says. . .etc.  I mean, HAVE YOU EVER FALLEN IN LOVE WITH A VILLAIN?  Like obsessed over a villain?

Well I have, and I am going to tell you why.  Loki- Thor's brother is a true, dark hearted villain.  He tries to kill the Avengers, he hates his brother (who he disowns as his brother) and he tries to take over the world.

So why do I love him?

Reason #1:  He has class.  He isn't some bum off the street who thinks he can just take over.  He actually has a plan.  And he truly believes in himself.  (Most heroes don't have that quality.)

Reason #2:  He knows what he is doing.  He doesn't just walk in and start shooting people.  He doesn't just kill everyone in sight.  He has got a plan.  In the opening scene for Avengers, you see him kill some people but he carefully selects three people and takes control of them because he knows they will be useful!

Reason #3:  He's got a killer smile.  Yes, I'm serious.  When he smiles you know two things. A. He's evil and B. He thinks he is about to win.   (And Tom Hiddleston has a gorgeous smile.)

Reason #3:  Some of the things he says is just hilarious!  Oh yeah, and he has some awesome facial expressions.   Like uh. . . when the Hulk pounds him into the floor?  Yeah I about peed cause I was laughing so hard.  (Did you know he actually moans in that seen?  I didn't hear it the first 4 times I saw the movie because everyone was laughing so hard.)

Reason #4:   He gets the job done. During one of the fight scenes between Loki and Thor, they couldn't get it to look right while filming so Tom just told Chris to hit him.  For real.  There was no way a real hit could look fake and they needed to finish the scene.  So, Chris hit him.  (Yeah Tom said he was sore after that.)

Reason #6:  He is good looking and an incredible actor!  Yes I know, most people think I am crazy.  Everyone argues about their favorite Avenger and who is the best looking and on and on and on..  My family thinks I am crazy because I said that Loki was the best looking guy in the movie.  But, it's true!  He is.

But if you asked me who my favorite Avenger is, my answer is Captain America.  (See, I'm not totally crazy!  I still like the good guys!)

Oh and my favorite scene with Loki?  The part in Germany.  I love how he walks down the steps totally full of himself, confident.  I love how he just flips over his scepter like it's another day at work, and hits the guy upside the head with it.   (I don't like the whole hitting part but the way he does it is just amazing).

And I love when he has everyone kneeling before him and he says "In the end, you will always kneel before me." and the old man stands up and says "Not to men like you." and Loki says "There are no men like me."  and the old man says "There are always men like you."

Just in that small scene you see that Loki believes he has everything and that no one is his equal.

So why do I love Loki?  Because I love a great villain!  Without an interesting villain,  there is no reason to vote for the heroes.

Side Note:  Once a month starting now, I will be spot lighting a favorite villain.   Loki came first because Avengers is currently my favorite movie.  I've seen it in Theaters six times now.   Besides, hardly anyone realizes that I am a comic nerd.   Like, as in I know all about the original stories and how they all connect and the purple dude in the end of the Avengers movie?  His name is Thanos.  (Most don't know that.)

One more thing:  Did you know that if you are an author you are a Thor as well?  AuThor!!  See?!?! Authors are heroes who wear Mother's drapes.  

LOOK, LOOK, LOOK!

Yes, I know today is book review day.  but how could I not share this???

Do you know what book this is???

The Secret Empire by Paul Genesse~ (Book three in the Iron Dragon Series)

Do you know who's mentioned in the acknowledgments of this book??

Looky, looky, looky!  (Yes, that is a real word).  It's me!!!!!

To learn more about this amazing book/series and its wonderful author, CLICK HERE! 

And to read my review of the book and see why my name is in the acknowledgement, 

CLICK HERE!  

Battle of the Hero's and Villains!

Most people watch movies and read books and immediately pick out who is the Villain and who is the Hero.  Who is good and who is bad.  Right vs Wrong.  Beautiful vs Ugly.  I could go on but it doesn't matter how I word it, the meaning is the same.   So. . . what if we were wrong? 

 What if the person we deem evil, is really the good guy?  

I'm going to use certain movies as examples (they are easier than books to reference). 

Movie #1: The Phantom of the Opera:

*Spoilers from the movie*

Good:	Bad:
Raoul	The Phantom

The saddest thing about this movie, is the fact that most people don't even realize the Phantom of the Opera (or Opera Ghost) has an actual name.  (And I don't mean just in the movie)

I have only met three people who knew the Phantom has a name- It's Erik.  

Right off, he is deemed the bad guy but how can one say that without knowing who he is?  Erik wasn't born evil.  He wasn't born a murderer.  He was taunted, tortured and beaten because of his looks.  And the only way he was able to free himself was by taking away the life of the man who held him prisoner like an animal.  

I'm not saying that was his best choice or the right choice, but it was the choice he made and despite that choice one girl still helped him.  She could see the pain he was going through.  Now understanding a little bit about his past, do you still see him as an evil phantom out to kill everyone?  

Well maybe so but let's go a little deeper.  Are you aware that he didn't really know what he was feeling?  He thought it was Love and so he felt hurt when Christine didn't feel the same.  And Christine still cared about him, just not the same way.  What Erik felt was lust.  But the moment when she kisses him he realizes that what he did was wrong.  He begins to understand what he really felt and he knows that he cannot hold her prisoner because he truly understands what love is.  

And while Erik is going through this learning process and making mistakes and learning from them,  what is Raoul doing? "Protecting" Christine because he loves her.  But if you truly love someone, would you honestly use her as bait to capture someone you believe to be a monster?  

Would you tell everyone that he only way to end The Phantom of the Opera is to kill him because he is evil? Raoul knew what happened to Erik and yet he still deemed him a monster.  He never gave Erik a chance to change.  

So, truly is Erik/Phantom of the Opera/Opera Ghost the bad guy?  Is he truly Evil or has he made mistakes he doesn't know how to fix? 

Movie #2: Harry Potter Series

*Spoilers*

Good:	Bad:
Harry Potter	Severus Snape

I'm pretty sure by now everyone is aware that Professor Snape was never truly a bad guy.  But most people were upset when they believed that he was.  And most readers jumped right to the conclusion that he was evil.  Right from Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone.  Everyone believed that he put a hex on Harry's broom and he kept getting in their way.  When I read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows I cried like no other while reading about who Snape really was.  What he did for Harry.  

And more tears were shed when I watched the movies!  

In this case, he truly was never a bad guy.  But he had to show everyone that he was so that he could keep Harry Protected.  And that is what makes it so sad and beautiful.  He gave away everything to make sure Harry Potter was able to destroy the man who killed the one person Snape loved.  And even through all of that, Snape cared for Harry.  He just couldn't tell him that.  

I was so mad at J.K Rowling for killing everyone throughout the Harry Potter series but when I read what really happened with Snape, I couldn't care about any of the other characters.  I didn't care who lived or died.  I wanted Snape back.  I wanted to turn back time and fix it.  Make everything alright again.  

Snape has truly become one of my favorite literary characters because of what he did.  (And Alan Rickman did an incredible job playing him).  Snape is my favorite. . .Always. 

Movie #3:   Avengers

*Lots and lots of Spoilers*

Good:	Bad:
Nick Fury, Avengers, Shield Agents	Loki

This movie is the opposite.  I'm not defending Loki (although he is my favorite villain ever. . . but we will discuss that later this week). Yep you guessed it,  I'm calling one of the mentioned above 'good guys' a bad guy.  Wanna guess which one?  

Nick Fury.  And no, I'm not really deeming him a villain but he is pretty evil.  Now, every  super hero has to make sacrifices and maybe do a little evil to make a lot of right happen.  But Nick Fury is ruthless and lied to all the Avengers just to make sure they would work together.  Yes, Phil died.  Yes, he died believing that the Avengers were the only ones who could stop Loki.  And Yes, he really did want Captain America to sign those vintage cards.  

But telling them that he had the cards in his pocket, AND wiping blood on them to make it convincing, Was. Just. Wrong.  You don't do that. You don't.  Yeah, yeah, yeah the Avengers needed the push.  They weren't getting along but did they really need to be lied to?  

Stooping so low as to "planting" cards (and putting blood on them) is something a villain would do.  That is something Loki would do. The good guys shouldn't do it to each other just because they can't get along.  

No, Nick Fury is not a villain.  But he can be pretty evil.  

So do you agree?  Disagree?  

They do this with a lot of cop shows.  NCIS, Numb3rs, NCIS LA, Unforgettable, Suits, White Collar, Psych, Monk,  CSI, Law and Order. . . etc 

They have "Guests" come on and pretend to be good guys and it turns out that they are the villain(s) and vica versa. . . They make you think one person is the villain and really they are the hero.  

So who is your hero? And who is the villain? 

10 points for Gryffindor. . . or whicever house you belong to.

A great big thank you to all those who participated in the Very Harry Potter Giveaway!  (Don't worry if you missed out, I will be doing another one around Christmas!) 

And a great big congratulations to our winners:

 The first prize winner (A Pair of Very Harry Earrings which you can see HERE) is

Adrienne McElwain!!

And the Second prize winner (A beautiful Harry Potter Bracelet, which you can also see HERE) is

Matt Ferrell!! 

Become~ A Review

Book Synopsis: 

It's never too late to choose . . .

Sixteen-year old Desolation Black wants nothing more than to stay in Hell where it’s cold and lonely and totally predictable. Instead, she’s sent back to Earth where she must face the evil she despises and the good she always feared.

When Desi is forced to embrace her inner demon, she assumes her choice has been made—that she has no hope of being anything other than what her father, Lucifer, has created her to be. What she doesn’t count on, is finding a reason to change—something she’s never had before—a friend.

My Review:

Ali Cross keeps you reading until the end.  I finished Become in just a few short hours, unable to put the book down.   The story starts out with a hopeless young girl, content with living in Hell forever.  It ends with a heart wrenching, tear jerking moment filled with  hope.  Desi is a believable character.  Well written and truly someone you can feel for.   And truly grows throughout the story.  

If you haven't read this story yet, don't worry.  It's never too late to choose to read it!  

Without a doubt

Oh yes, and did I mention that this book has a gorgeous cover?!?!?!?!

Want to learn more?  Come check out Ali Cross's amazing web site HERE!