UPDATE: The contest page is now available at Whipped Cream and Long and Short Reviews: http://www.longandshortreviews.com/promo.htm.  While the contest does not officially begin until March 29 (and many of the links on the contest page are still not active), make sure to mark your calendars and bookmark the contesst webpage.  There are tons of prizes to be won, including a $25.00 gift certificate to either Amazon or Barnes and Noble, signed books, e-books, tee shirts, and publisher gift certificates.

Originally posted on February 17, 2010:  Whipped Cream and Long and Short Reviews is planning their 2010 Easter Egg Scavenger Hunt, which will include tons of great prizes.  All you have to do to enter is visit participating authors' websites and find the hidden Easter eggs.
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Come back at the end of March for more details!  Until then...
                                                                                     HAPPY READING!
 
 
Thanks to your votes, Lust in Space made the top 10 erotica novels for 2009 and The Darkness and the Night III: Twins of Darkness finished in the top 20 horror novels.  My thanks to all who showed their support!

The final standings:

Erotica
1. Murder by Design, Jade Falconer, Phaze, [link]
2. Kilted Lover, Nicole North, Red Sage Publishing, [link]
3. Breaking The Covenants, Celina Summers and Rob Graham, Aspen Mountain Press, [link]
4. Scent of a Vampire, Jude Stephens, Hearts on Fire Books, [link]
4. Dommemoir, I.G. Frederick, Fanny Press, [link]
4. Only Pleasure, Lora Leigh, St. Martin's Griffin, [link]
5. Strangers, Barabara Elsborg - , Ellora’s Cave Romantica Publication, [link]
6. Spell of Appalachia, Molly Wens, eXcessica, [link]
6. Eden's Hell, Dawné Dominique, Purple Sword Publications, [link]
7. Xylon Warriors IV: Ecstasy Bound, Ruth D. Kerce, Ellora's Cave, [link]
7. Internet Bonds #8: After Glow, Christy Poff, Whiskey Creek Press Torrid, [link]
8. Curfew, Samantha Stone, L&L Dreamspell, [link]
9. Lust in Space, Lisa Lane, Ravenous Romance, [link]
9. Sex Camp, Natalie Acres, Siren Publishing, [link]
9. The Janitor, Jan Irving, Loose ID, [link]
10. Location, Location, Location, Emma Hillman, eXcessica Publishing, [link]
10. Triad, Cat Grant, Lyrical Press, [link]

Horror
1. Rise Of The Darkness, C.A.Milson, Lulu, [link]
2. Armageddon Bound, Tim Marquitz, Damnation Books, [link]
3. The Great Right Hope, Mark Jackman, LL-Publications, [link]
4. Cursed, Jeremy C. Shipp, Raw Dog Screaming Press, [link]
5. Angels of the Mourning Light, Frank E. Bittinger, iUniverse, [link]
6. The Hollows, Ben Larken, LL-Publications, [link]
7. The Last Church, Lee Pletzers, Black Bed Sheet Press, [link]
8. War of the Worlds plus Blood, Guts and Zombies, Eric S. Brown, Coscom Entertainment, [link]
9. The Dark Path, Luke Romyn, Wild Child Publishing, [link]
10. Demon Hunter: The Chosen One, Cynthia Vespia, Aspen Mountain Press, [link]
11. Kelland, Paul G. Bens, Jr., Casperian Books, [link]
12. Cemetery Gates, Maryann Paige, Club Lighthouse Publishing, [link]
13. Escape: A Zombie Chronicles Novel, James Melzer, Permuted Press/Pocket Books, [link]
14. The Further Accounts of the Imaginary Friend, P.S. Gifford, Virtual Tales, [link]
15. Gentle Art of Making Enemies, Kevin Mellor, Black Bed Sheet Books, [link]
16. Blood of the Dark Moon, Adrianne Brennan, Freya's Bower, [link]
16. The Darkness and the Night III: Twins of Darkness, Lisa Lane, Ravenous Romance, [link]
16. The Kult, Shaun Jeffrey, Leucrota Press, [link]
17. White Witch, Black Curse, Kim Harrison, Eos, [link]
18. Dismember, Daniel Pyle, Wild Child Publishing, [link]
18. Shadows of Souls, Allan W. Azouz, L&L Dreamspell, [link]
19. Under the Dome, Stephen King, Scribner, [link]
19. Angels of the Deep, Kirby Crow, MLR Press, [link]
20. Shadows, Joan De La Haye, Rebel e Publishers, [link]

Romance
1. Babies in the Bargain, Mona Risk, The Wild Rose Press, [link]
2. The Benefactor, Margaret Reyes Dempsey, The Wild Rose Press, [link]
3. The Trouble With Playboys, Margaret Tanner, The Wild Rose Press, [link]
4. Clippings, A.J. Mirag, Lulu, [link]
5. Hostage Heart, Chelle Cordero, Vanilla Heart Publishing, [link]
6. Innocence Lost, Tiffany Green, The Wild Rose Press, [link]
7. The Third Wish, K. F. Zuzulo, Sapphire Blue Publishing, [link]
8. Fortune's Pride, Michele Stegman, Asylett Press, [link]
9. Creighton Manor, Karen Michelle Nutt, Tease Publishing LLC, [link]
10. Midnight Secrets, Lisa Rose Olick, Black Bed Sheet Books, [link]
11. Recipe For Love, Fiona McGier, Wings e-press, [link]
12. Spell of Appalachia, Molly Wens, eXcessica, [link]
12. Love Means No Shame, Andrew Grey, Dreamspinner Press, [link]
13. Another Time, Another Place, T. Sue VerSteeg, The Wild Rose Press, [link]
14. Beyond the Quiet, Brenda Hill, Vanilla Heart, [link]
15. Champagne, Inara LeVay, Ravenous Romance, [link]
16. A Chaunce of Riches, Chelle Cordero, Vanilla Heart, [link]
16. Honor Thy Neighbor, Valerie J. Patterson, BookStrand, [link]
17. Darkness Into Light, Christy Poff, Whiskey Creek Press Torrid, [link]
17. Unfolding the Shadows, Katie O'Sullivan, Cerridwen Press, [link]
17. Binding Vows, Catherine Bybee, The Wild Rose Press, [link]
18. All For A Fist Full Of Ashes, R. Ann Siracusa, Sapphire Blue Publishing, [link]
18. Timeless Mist, Terisa Wilcox, L&L Dreamspell, [link]
19. Branded By Fire, Nalini Singh, Berkeley Books, [link]
20. Vicus Luna, Jessica Coulter Smith, Wild Horse Press, [link]
20. Mistletoe and Holly, Marilyn Gardiner, Wings e-press, [link]
20. Lonely Soul, Mary Quast, Vanilla Heart Publishing, [link]
20. Circle of Eternity, Sandy Nicks, Vanilla Heart Publishing, [link]
21. Time For Love, Melissa Miller, IE Novel, [link]
21. Love in Space, Lisa Lane, Ravenous Romance, [link]
21. Hard Fall, James Buchanan, MLR Press, [link]

Congratulations to the winners!  For a full list of all of the categories, go to http://www.critters.org/predpoll/tally.ht
 
 
In the ‘70s and 80’s, George Lucas changed the face of sci-fi film with the first three Star Wars features.  New technology needed to be created in order to make the movies possible, and that technology took special effects to a level never before imagined.  Moreover, the plot was exciting, heartfelt, and insightful, capturing the hearts of children and adults alike.  The movies defined a generation and made sci-fi fans of both males and females from all walks of life.

Avatar is the Star Wars of the 21st century.

I went into the theater already knowing that I would be witnessing history in the making.  Having worked with one of the digital imaging technicians for the film, knowing his attention to detail and his eye for perfection, I couldn’t wait to view the completed product.  I knew I was about to embark on an amazing journey—but nothing could prepare me for the breathtaking masterpiece I saw today.

Avatar is by far the most visually stunning film I have ever had the pleasure to watch.  The digital effects were flawless, the story was beautiful, and overall the work was brilliant.  The characters were believable, even the digitally generated Na’vi, and the scenery was amazing.  I have read criticism that has called Avatar “Dances with Smurfs,” and I can only shake my head.  All filmmakers know that there are seven basic plots; storylines and characters can change, but they will always fit into one of those basic plots.  James Cameron meshed the plot most associated with Dances with Wolves and The Last Samurai, placed it on an alien planet, and added an impeccable hero’s journey.  There are no Smurfs, here—Avatar is thoughtful, meaningful, and artfully executed.

I only have a couple of minor criticisms of the film.  If you have not yet watched Avatar and do not wish to read any spoilers, please do not continue.

Spoilers
ahead.


This
is
your
last
chance
to
turn
away.

My main criticism is with the plot dumps at the beginning of the film.  While I realize that Mr. Cameron was working under time constraints and had no choice but to use them, the dialog felt a little choppy: characters were telling other characters pieces of information that they should have already known, in ways that seemed slightly out of place.  A revision in those couple of pieces of dialog would have made a huge difference in the beginning of the film.

My second criticism is the “unobtainium.”  The name alone takes away from the serious realism the rest of the movie achieves, the play on words being just too obvious.  More importantly, we never see any characters actually mine the precious metal—and it is never made clear just why it is so precious.  Online searches reveal that the mineral is supposed to be a superconductor and powerful energy source, but we are never given this information in the film.  We are told that Earth is a dying planet; wouldn’t something life sustaining be more worth fighting over?  Why are the humans mining “unobtainium?”  Why is it worth so much?  Can it save lives?  Can it save our dying Earth?  Eliminating the unobtainium and making the planet itself the commodity would have eliminated the out-of-place plot dumps about the mineral.

Thirdly, but just as importantly, Mr. Cameron could have reallocated several precious screen minutes to better use by making the main character’s initial loss of his twin brother available through plot dump, as opposed to actual footage.  The film is nearly three hours long (which does fly, given its amazing content); the beginning would not have suffered had the cremation scene been cut and the information about the brother been offered through a few well executed lines.

Beyond those small criticisms, I have nothing but positive words to offer about Avatar.  I laughed, I cried, I gasped with awe, and I left the theater feeling as though I had just watched a top-notch live action movie.  I did more than that, though; I witnessed the beginning of a new era in digital film and I experienced a story that will stay with me for years to come.

And I didn’t even watch the 3D version.
 
 
This is a great interview with editor and literary agent Lori Perkins:

http://libertyconspiracy.podomatic.com/entry/2009-12-17T09_10_45-08_00
 
 
Join me on October 30th at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/savannahchase/ from 9 pm to midnight EST (6-9 pm Pacific), for her third annual Halloween bash!  There will be dozens of horror authors, lots of prizes and tons of Halloween fun--hope to "see" you there!
 
 

Please check out these new releases, written by friend and fellow RR author, Keta Diablo:

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CARNAL CRAVINGS
By Keta Diablo

BLURB:  Craven and Anthony find themselves in a cauldron of trouble while spying on Beresford Hall. A man in a black hood has routed them while they spied, and now he’s escorted them to the manor and secluded them in separate rooms.  One thing haunts Craven, the ice-blue eyes behind the hood and Anthony’s words, ‘Only one man possesses such eyes . . . Dominic Beresford, the most magnificent creature God ever breathed life into.’

BUY FROM DARK ROAST PRESS:
http://www.darkroastpress.com/cravings.php
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CROSSROADS REVISITED

A Gay Fiction Erotica Novella
by Keta Diablo
ISBN 978-1-59426-778-9

The exciting sequel to Crossroads! Frank McGuire is beginning to think the City has become a melting pot for serial killers. Another maniac is stalking the streets, only this time the deviant isn't tracking Goth girls, but gay college students. Rumors surface that put Frank's life in jeopardy, and somehow he must protect Rand from the carnage about to unfold. What he didn't count on was Rand becoming the killer's next victim.

Elements: scenes of intense sexuality

BUY FROM PHAZE PUBLISHING: http://www.phaze.com

For more information on Keta Diablo or her books:

http://ketadiablo.blogspot.com
http://ketaskeep.blogspot.com
http://www.twitter.com/ketadiablo

Happy reading!