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Monthly Archives: December 2013

“Better Nate Than Ever” by Tim Federle ~ Hilarious and Heartwarming

30 Monday Dec 2013

Posted by Elizabeth Fais in Book Reviews, Fiction, MMGM

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Auditions, Better Nate Than Ever, dance, E.T., Elizabeth Fais, Fiction, Manhattan, Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday, Middle Grade, Musicals, New York City, show tunes, Theater, Tim Federle

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday!

Better Nate Than Ever coverNate Foster has big dreams. His whole life, he’s wanted to star in a Broadway show. (Heck, he’d settle for *seeing* a Broadway show.)

But how is Nate supposed to make his dreams come true when he’s stuck in Jankburg, Pennsylvania, where no one (except his best pal Libby) appreciates a good show tune? With Libby’s help, Nate plans a daring overnight escape to New York. There’s an open casting call for E.T.: The Musical, and Nate knows this could be the difference between small-town blues and big-time stardom.

Now’s his chance to explore the city, wow the casting director, out-sing the competition, and hop the last bus home before anyone notices he’s gone. No big deal, right? But exciting as it is, the Big Apple can be big trouble. And if Nate isn’t careful, he’ll be lucky if he makes it through Times Square, much less the audition.  [Synopsis]

Over-The-Top Audacity … in the Best Possible Way!

Let me just say, I love Nate! Oh, and his best friend Libby too. Because without Libby, Nate never would have known about the  ET: The Musical casting call, much less attempted a daring escape to New York City for the audition. I know I’m biased, but here’s some relatively impartial insights…

What’s so great about Nate: A voice that’s fresh, funny, with a spot on middle grade. Nate has all the anxieties and self-doubts of any misfit. But what makes him so adorkable is his how he embraces his quirks, and motors right through his fears with improv that’s nothing short of genius. And then there’s Nate and Libby’s swear words, which are as unique as they are endearing. They curse with the titles of (real!) legendary Broadway musical flops, such as Dance of the Vampires. Who knew?

Reality with a dash of wacky: The Plan Libby and Nate concoct to get him into the audition in New York City is realistic and level-headed. The amusing flaws in their scheme spring from a ten-year-old’s naive view of the world. Still, things manage to work out for Nate. Like how he talks his way into purchasing a bus ticket—when he’s obviously under age—using his older brother’s ID. His brother Anthony is 16, at least ten inches taller, and has the face of an international model, which Nate so is not. Admittedly, the coverage of a local stabbing on the television monitor in the ticket booth was a saving distraction for the ticket salesperson, what with the gory graphics, eyewitnesses, and a crying woman holding a baseball bat. Still, Nate’s anxiety driven improv is ultimately what does the trick. From there on out, the wackiness spins into high gear… But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Laugh-out-loud hilarity: The entire book is the funniest thing I’ve read in a long time. But I have to admit that I was literally reduced to laughing so hard I was sobbing, my head in my hands, by Nate’s audition performance. Nate claims his *special talent* is walking on his knees. So when the casting director asks him to perform his trick, Nate flips into manic mode … and then some…

…I’m circling their table, channeling my Fiddler on the Roof bottle dancing, flying by like we’re at the racetrack, the team’s little greyhound…

I’d share more, but I don’t want to ruin it for you. Just be sure to have a box of tissues handy. You’ll need them. I sure did!

Home is where the heart is: They say that comedy has to have an element of pathos to make it funny. In Nate’s story, the pathos comes from his disfunctional family. His parents are on the verge of divorce, his all-star brother hides beer in his closet, and then there’s his mother’s estranged sister. The very aunt who comes to Nate’s rescue (thanks to Libby) as a legal guardian, a requirement to get into the audition. The broken dynamics of Nate’s family, and how his wacky adventure helps put them on the mend, makes you care—and root—for Nate all the more.

I highly  recommend Better Nate Than Ever for most all middle grade boys and girls. Though I’d warn them to keep an eye on their parents. Because they’ll be sneaking this book away to read too.

About the Author

Tim Federle is the author of over seven hundred emails. Born in beautiful San Francisco and raised in character building Pittsburgh, Tim discovered show tunes in elementary school, prompting bullies to discover Tim. Armed with only grit (and his father’s credit card), Tim fled to New York City as a teenager. He has since worn a Tina Turner wig at the Super Bowl, a polar bear suit at Radio City, and a big fat grin in five Broadway shows. Better Nate Than Ever is Tim’s first novel. Soon to be followed by the sequel, Five, Six, Seven NATE! You can find Tim on Twitter @TimFederle. [Jacketflap bio]


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Another Muppet Silly Christmas

24 Tuesday Dec 2013

Posted by Elizabeth Fais in Holiday Irreverence, Humor, Muppets

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Tags

A Christmas Carol, A Muppet Christmas Carol, Carol of the Bells, Christmas, Dickens, Elizabeth Fais, Muppets, Ringing of the Bells

I’m reposting this because it’s just not Christmas without the Muppets!

Carol Bells Ringing with Silliness

XMAS_MuppetBellsIt just isn’t Happy Holidays without a little Muppet zaniness.

If you’ve seen “The Muppet Christmas Carol” you know what I mean! If you haven’t, check out the trailer below. You’re in for a laugh-out-loud treat.

Here’s the Muppettized rendition of Carol of the Bells.


So NOT Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol”


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Heart, Soul, & Humor in “Forever and Ever, Amen” by Liv Rancourt

16 Monday Dec 2013

Posted by Elizabeth Fais in Books, Family, Paranormal, Romance

≈ 13 Comments

Tags

angels, Demons, Elizabeth Fais, Family, Forever and Ever Amen, Liv Rancourt, Matt Haig, The Radleys, Vampire

Today, I am super excited to have friend, and illustrious author, Liv Rancourt here Forever and Ever, Amento share the inspiration for her latest novel, Forever and Ever, Amen.

Liv Rancourt writes paranormal and romance, often at the same time. She lives with her husband, two teenagers, two cats and one wayward puppy. She likes to create stories that have happy endings, and finds it is a good way to balance her other job in the neonatal intensive care unit.

You can find Liv on:
her website (www.livrancourt.com),
her blog (www.livrancourt.com/blog),
Facebook (www.facebook.com/liv.rancourt), and Twitter (www.twitter.com/LivRancourt).

It’s All About Family

Hey Elizabeth, thank you so much for having me as a guest on your blog! I really appreciate the chance to connect with your readers. We’re all plowing through the holiday season, and to me that means one very important thing.

Family.

Over the years, my family’s make-up has changed, from the sisters I was born with to the friends I chose to the home my husband and I have created for our children. In our house, it’s not the holidays without the Steven Colbert Christmas special and The Klezmonauts Christmas CD, “Oy To The World.” It’s not Christmas unless our circle of close friends is seated around our dining room table with all the leaves put in so everybody fits.

Real-Life Inspiration + Angels, Demons, and a Vampire

Family influences my writing, too. My paranormal romance Forever and Ever, Amen is the story of a single mom who is trying to raise her teenagers while dealing with some pretty extraordinary challenges. It wasn’t enough that Molly had to face some tough times after breaking up with her husband. She got marked by a demon, and had to face three trials or risk losing her soul.

The thing is, though, the basic premise came out of my real-life family’s story. A couple of years ago I flew to California to visit my aunt right before she died of cancer. All her life she had tremendous difficulty dealing with anxiety, and as I waited at the airport for my flight home, I started thinking about how much respect I had for the way she faced her fears. Then I made a list of the things that scared me most.

Then I decided to make a character experience those very things.

But because the seed of the story came from real life, I decided to make it a contemporary romance that happened to include angels and demons. Oh, and a vampire. I mean, what story isn’t improved by the presence of a vampire?

The Radleys by Matt HaigIn part, I was inspired by The Radleys by Matt Haig. For those of you who haven’t read this book, it’s basically a family drama…involving a family of vampires. Mr. Haig tells the story of Peter and Helen, a couple who have been married for fifteen or twenty years, and their two teenage children. Peter and Helen are abstainers – sort of the vampiric equivalent of vegans – and they never mention the whole ‘blood thirsty undead’ thing to the kids until a thick-skulled young man tries something creepy with their daughter and awakens her true nature.

Oops.

The thing is, the truth of The Radleys lies in the family dynamic, the way Peter and Helen cope with raising teenagers and keep their marriage fresh. The vampire element just raises the stakes. It also makes for some seriously entertaining moments – especially when Uncle Will shows up.

I’ll let you figure that part out for yourselves.

With Forever and Ever, Amen, I tried to dig into that same territory. The heart of the story is love: the love of a mother for her kids and the fear she feels when her children are threatened. Molly has to learn some things, too, like, it’s possible for a guy to love her without turning her into a trophy on his shelf. And it’s possible for her to stand on her own two feet and do what she thinks is right.

There’s not a lot of blood and fireworks in Forever and Ever, Amen. Instead, there’s angels and demons, heart and humor. And a vampire.

What more could you want?

Thanks again, Elizabeth. I hope you and your readers have a peaceful holiday season, and that you experience your most important and memorable traditions.

Peace,

Liv


Thank you, Liv!

If you’re looking for a spicy holiday read…
bite into a copy of Forever and Ever, Amen.


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‘Tis the Season of Miracles

12 Thursday Dec 2013

Posted by Elizabeth Fais in Holiday, Inspiration, Music

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Elizabeth Fais, Extreme, IZ, Joshua Bell, Love, Magic, Miracles, More Than Words, Somewhere Over the Rainbow, Tchaikovsky, Violin Concerto in D Major

The holiday season is one of my favorite times of year. A beautiful mystical quality shines through everything, tempting us to peer beyond the veil. There’s a reason why so many faiths have major celebrations at this time of year…

Central Park blanketed with snow

Music has the miraculous power to lift our spirits and transport us into higher realms of consciousness. Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, and of course, Tchaikovsky. I hold a special place in my heart for Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in D.

Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto, Joshua Bell, Violin

The energy Joshua Bell brings to his all performances is amazing, but in this piece he lifts the music to a transcendent level.

In the following video, Joshua Bell plays with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra at the Gala concert of the Nobel Prize 2010, with Sakari Oramo, conducting. This is the First Movement, of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto in D, Allegro Moderato (2:47).

To hear Joshua Bell play this piece in its entirety (36:29) with the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America with Valery Gergiev conductoing at the London, Proms 2013, go here.


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5 Movies that Put the FUN in Dysfunctional Holidays!

10 Tuesday Dec 2013

Posted by Elizabeth Fais in Film, Holiday Irreverence, Movies

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Alicia Witt, Bruce Willis, Carrie Anne Moss, Chocolat, Die Hard, Die Hard 2, Die Harder, Gerard Depardieu, Giancarlo Esposito, Johnny Depp, Juliette Binoche, Keanu Reeves, Last Holiday, Queen Latifa, The Matrix, Timothy Hutton

I don’t mean to dis the holiday season. But let’s get real. 85% of all families are dysfunctional, in one way or another. For many the holidays can be as much fun as walking on broken glass. Before you’re tempted to string yourself up with those Christmas lights, try a tradition guaranteed to chase away the holiday blues. Put some FUN back in dysFUNctional holidays with these awesome films…

Die Hard

Die Hard poster A New York City cop gets trapped in a Los Angeles high-rise occupied by terrorists on Christmas Eve.

Yes, I’m serious. The original Die Hard movie is one of my favorite holiday movies, for the following reasons:

  1. John McClane’s (Bruce Willis) Christmas Eve is way worse than anybody’s holiday could ever be.
  2. Alan Rickman. Need I say more?
  3. Baddass Bruce tormenting bad guys, as only he can.
  4. Yippe Ki Yay mother **cker! Best action film line ever! Especially when delivered with Baddass Bruce snark.
  5. High intensity fun with a happy ending.

Die Hard 2 –Die Harder

John McClane, officer of the NYPD averts disaster as rogue military officials seize controlDie Hard 2: Die Harder of Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C. and save his wife Holly who is on one of the planes attempting to land.

Yes, this is my second favorite holiday movie. Which I usually watch right after the first Die Hard movie. Gotta  keep the adrenaline pumping.

  1. This story is also set on Christmas Eve.
  2. The bad guys are new and the technical tactics have gone up a notch, or 10.
  3. More great snarky lines.
  4. Bruce is his same baddass self.
  5. More high intensity fun with another happy ending.

The Matrix

The Matrix posterI’m only going to recommend the first Matrix movie. The other two felt overdone (story-wise), in my humble opinion. But you go ahead and watch all three, if you need the escapism. Here’s the synopsis for the first in the series:

In the near future, a computer hacker named Neo discovers that life on Earth is nothing more than a virtual reality — The Matrix — created by intelligent-machines, so they can farm our life essence and dominate the “real” world. Neo joins like-minded Rebel warriors Morpheus and Trinity to overthrow The Matrix.

What’s so great about that, you ask? Take the red pill and I’ll show you:

  1. This movie has nothing to do with the holidays. At all.
  2. A lean mean Keanu Reeves and kickass Carrie Anne Moss. Take your pick.
  3. Awesome martial arts fight scenes, and slick dodging of bullets.
  4. The story’s existential undertones make it easy to detach from commercially concocted holiday expectations. I mean, seriously… “There is no spoon.”
  5. Your relatives probably won’t want to watch this movie with you.

Chocolat

Chocolat moive posterWhen Vianne (Juliette Binoche), a mysterious stranger, and her child arrive in a tranquil French town in the winter of 1959, nobody expects the impact she and her daughter will have on their community which is stubbornly rooted in tradition. Vianne has the audacity to open a very unusual chocolate shop right across the square from the church. Then her unusual ability to perceive her customers’ private desires and satisfy them with just the right confection coaxes the villagers to abandon their straight-laced ways.

The resident nobleman and self-appointed leader of the town fears Vianne is ruining his town, and forbids anyone from entering her shop. He is hoping to put her out of business, and drive her away forever. And it almost works. But the handsome gypsy, Roux (Johnny Depp), arrives and joins forces with Vianne to liberate the town. A dramatic confrontation ensues, ultimately changing the town, and the people’s hearts, for the better.

This movie’s magical charm is just as powerful as kickass-badass. Here’s why:

  1. The idyllic French country town magically whisks you away and suspends disbelief.
  2. Juliette Binoche and Johny Depp. Your choice.
  3. Rigid traditions fall away in favor of new ways that free the spirit of the town’s people. You’ve gotta love that!
  4. Did I mention Johnny Depp? He plays a twelve string steel guitar. For reals!
  5. The theme of inclusion as a positive force and exclusion as a destructive force hits the right note.

Last Holiday

XMAS_LastHoliday_Right before Christmas, shy New Orleans cookware sales clerk Georgia Byrd (Queen Latifah) receives the news that she has less than a month to live. This harsh reality causes Georgia to rebel against her timid life. She hops on a plane, jetting off on a dream vacation, living like there’s no tomorrow — because for her there isn’t.

Georgia succeeds in shaking up a glamorous European resort spa, commanding the attention of senators and hotel staff alike! LL Cool J, Georgia’s handsome suitor in New Orleans, chases after her for a surprise happy ending.

For those of you who read last year’s — more politically correct — 5 Get-in-the-Holiday-Mood Movies post, you’ll remember this movie was on that list. This is not a mistake. This movie deserves to be on both lists. Here’s why:

  1. Queen Latifa is a hoot-and-a-half.
  2. Great lines all around. The supporting cast (Timothy Hutton, Gerard Depardieu, Alicia Witt and Giancarlo Esposito) are all laugh-out-loud funny.
  3. The beautiful Eastern European mountain setting!
  4. This movie is deep with meaning and big on heart.
  5. It’s a great reminder about what’s important in life. Don’t waste your energy on your annoying relatives. Watch another movie instead!

Do you have any movies to add to this list?

Sharing is caring!


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15th YAppiest Giveaway WINNER! “Struck” by Jennifer Bosworth

08 Sunday Dec 2013

Posted by Elizabeth Fais in Book Reviews, Books, Giveaway, Winner!, YAppiest, Young Adult

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Elizabeth Fais, Jennifer Bosworth, Struck, Winner, YAppiest Day on Earth, YAppiest Giveaway

17 YA AUTHORS + DISNEYLAND = THE YAPPIEST DAY ON EARTH!

YAppiest Day on Earth icon


The 15th YAppiest Giveaway! is for Struck, by Jennifer Bosworth.

Mia’s a lightning strike addict with the power to end the world. Unfortunately for her, two warring religious cults know her secret and aim to claim her power for their own ends, any way they can.

STRUCK cover

And the Lucky Winner Is…

… Drum roll …

~oOo~

bn100

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

*** Tosses buckets of confetti! ***

~oOo~

I’ll contact you via email in case you miss this post.

Coming Up Next!

The LAST BLAST YAppiest Giveaway! for two awesome reads: Ten by Gretchen McNeil and Unremembered by Jessica Brody, so…

Stay Tuned!

For a complete list of YAppiest Giveaways, go here.

Book Covers for Giveaways

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Kung Fu Piano Meets Lightsaber Cello … On the Great Wall of China

05 Thursday Dec 2013

Posted by Elizabeth Fais in Amazing but true!, Music

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Tags

Carol of the Bells for 12 Cellos, Cello, Cello Ascends, Great Wall of China, Kung Fu Piano, Lightsaber Duel, Star Wars Cello, Steven Sharp Nelson, The Piano Guys

Lightsaber Cello Duels at New Heights

It’s been a while since we’ve heard from the Lightsaber Cello guy, and I was Steven Sharp Nelsonwondering what galaxies his music was soaring through…

Then as if by magic, I came across this video of our hero on top of the Great Wall of China in a Kung Fu Piano face-off. Seriously. The Great Wall of China … with a grand piano no less!

If you haven’t heard about the Rock Star Cellist, check out the Lightsaber Duel and Carol of the Bells for 12 Cellos. But be prepared to be amazed.

How’d they get a grand piano on top of the Great Wall?

It was no small effort to get a grand piano on top of the Great Wall of China. Basically it took a crane—to hoist the piano up onto the wall—and then a small army of people to carry the piano to the location shot in the video. Amazing.  You can watch a short video documenting the monumental event at the end of the Kung Fu Piano face-off.



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