I've written ten mini-stories for the Army Green boys and it's starting to get a little unwieldy over here on my journal, so my solution? Make a PDF. Have fun with photoshop while doing it.
This PDF is a free download prepared by me featuring mini-stories written from reader prompts provided during Torquere Press Livejournal hosting days over the last year or so.
The Army Green series is a contemporary romance series set in Kentucky at Glenhaven Farms, where Neil and Ms. Susan have raised, boarded, and shown horses for decades. The focus of the series is their adult grandson, Evan, and all the strays they've taken in over the years. The series started off with Taction, then grew with Army Green and Army Green: Burning Bright.
I've arranged the mini-stories in chronological order, and have included purchase information and excerpts from the three main stories so readers will know if there are spoilers in the mini-stories ahead. I've also provided character summaries for the main characters at the front.
So please, check out the download over here, and let me know whether or not you like it. Does it play nice with your e-reader? Does the formatting work for you? I'd like to make these as stream-lined and accessible as possible :)
Monday, October 17, 2011
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Released: The Silver Sun of an Imaginary Day by J. Rocci
The Silver Sun of an Imaginary Day
by J. Rocci
27 pages / 7100 words
Lord John Blakeney has been living with the curse of the werewolf for almost a year and fears that he can no longer control the beast. Exhausting his search for a cure, he is determined to attempt one last antidote at the advice of a London alchemist. He needs transportation to a crag where the sun and the moon align in a lunar eclipse on All Hallow's Eve. When a pickpocket places a note in his pocket that leads him to a pub, he's approached by Donal Gambrill, air ship captain and a man he fell in love with years ago.
Gambrill is convinced to fly him to the crag on the Totentanz, his dirigible, and during the journey, Blakeney and Gambrill find that their former attraction is still burning bright. But if the cure works, they may have more time than Blakeney can imagine.
Available now from Torquere Books!
Friday, October 14, 2011
Movie Review: Heroic Duo (2003)
Movie Review: Shuang xiong (2003)
English translation: Heroic Duo
Review by J. Rocci
Rating: Rated R for violent content
Starring: Ekin Cheng, Leon Lai
Imdb.com synopsis:
The plot summary listed on imdb.com makes absolutely no sense, so I'll just say this is a cop suspense / thriller movie with a supernatural element, set in Hong Kong, where a police officer tracking down leads on a case teams up with a criminal bent on revenge.
J. thinks:
Directed by Benny Chan (Jackie Chan's brother, and writer/director of Gen X Cops, another favorite), and starring Ekin Cheng (Vampire Effect, Tekken, Storm Riders, A Man Called Hero) and Leon Lai (Battle Arena Toshinden). I could only find it available to watch in original Cantonese with subtitles, but I think we know how I feel on that by now :)
I was expecting something along the lines of Gen X Cops when I watched this, and I was pleasantly surprised when Chan took a rather far-fetched premise -- hypnotist criminal, for real? -- and made a well-written, serious film about it that had me on my seat through almost the entire movie. Throughout, you get a feel for each of the characters, even down to the secondary ones like Cheng's subordinates on the force and Lai's wife and friends, and what I liked the most was that their actions all make sense for their personalities, even if it's unexpected behavior.
The plot is kind of twisting, and a little slow in the beginning as we get through all the exposition, but it definitely picks up in action after the first quarter-mark. I liked the undertone between Lai's character, Jack, and the main bad guy, Hoi, played by Francis Ng (Gen X Cops, A Man Called Hero, Second Strike, Bride with White Hair), and that really went a long way in explaining why Hoi was messing with Jack's head and life.
Visually, the settings were interesting and diverse, and the action was well-choreographed (But what do you expect from Chan?), and there were a few chase scenes that rocked. My only issue with the action is that sometimes cops were gunned down just out of the blue, and that never sits well with me. But the whole hypnotism aspect, while at times a little unrealistic in the speed people went under (just twice out of almost a dozen hypnoses), was obviously researched and handled scientifically, just with a little more of a non-APA twist to it, which I liked.
I accepted the ending, because by that point, I couldn't have seen it going any other way. But I wasn't really upset at any of it, since the character motivations were clear and true to what we'd been shown up to that point. So yes.
Good movie. Definitely gets in your head. I'd recommend it if you like action and intelligent mystery.
English translation: Heroic Duo
Review by J. Rocci
Rating: Rated R for violent content
Starring: Ekin Cheng, Leon Lai
Imdb.com synopsis:
The plot summary listed on imdb.com makes absolutely no sense, so I'll just say this is a cop suspense / thriller movie with a supernatural element, set in Hong Kong, where a police officer tracking down leads on a case teams up with a criminal bent on revenge.
J. thinks:
Directed by Benny Chan (Jackie Chan's brother, and writer/director of Gen X Cops, another favorite), and starring Ekin Cheng (Vampire Effect, Tekken, Storm Riders, A Man Called Hero) and Leon Lai (Battle Arena Toshinden). I could only find it available to watch in original Cantonese with subtitles, but I think we know how I feel on that by now :)
I was expecting something along the lines of Gen X Cops when I watched this, and I was pleasantly surprised when Chan took a rather far-fetched premise -- hypnotist criminal, for real? -- and made a well-written, serious film about it that had me on my seat through almost the entire movie. Throughout, you get a feel for each of the characters, even down to the secondary ones like Cheng's subordinates on the force and Lai's wife and friends, and what I liked the most was that their actions all make sense for their personalities, even if it's unexpected behavior.
The plot is kind of twisting, and a little slow in the beginning as we get through all the exposition, but it definitely picks up in action after the first quarter-mark. I liked the undertone between Lai's character, Jack, and the main bad guy, Hoi, played by Francis Ng (Gen X Cops, A Man Called Hero, Second Strike, Bride with White Hair), and that really went a long way in explaining why Hoi was messing with Jack's head and life.
Visually, the settings were interesting and diverse, and the action was well-choreographed (But what do you expect from Chan?), and there were a few chase scenes that rocked. My only issue with the action is that sometimes cops were gunned down just out of the blue, and that never sits well with me. But the whole hypnotism aspect, while at times a little unrealistic in the speed people went under (just twice out of almost a dozen hypnoses), was obviously researched and handled scientifically, just with a little more of a non-APA twist to it, which I liked.
I accepted the ending, because by that point, I couldn't have seen it going any other way. But I wasn't really upset at any of it, since the character motivations were clear and true to what we'd been shown up to that point. So yes.
Good movie. Definitely gets in your head. I'd recommend it if you like action and intelligent mystery.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Writing soundtrack: Army Green: Hooligans
I'm always curious to see what other authors listen to while writing, so I'm going to try to make my own soundtracks more accessible to peeps. My first post is the one I listen to most often. Keep an eye out for more Hooligans in 2012!
Links go to Youtube. I tried to link to official videos where they existed. Top of the list is a little metal heavy, so some of the vids may be graphic in nature. Be warned.
Army Green: Hooligans
The REO Mix
An Open Letter To Nyc by Beastie Boys
Dear New York I know a lot has changed / two towers down but you're still in the game
Hero Of War by Rise Against
I'll carry this flag / To the grave if I must / Because it's a flag that I love / And a flag that I trust
Counting Bodies Like Sheep by A Perfect Circle
I’ll be the one to protect you from your enemies and all your demons / I'll be the one to protect you from a will to survive and a voice of reason
Death Blooms by Mudvayne [this would probably be one of the graphic vids I warned about...]
Dark for fear of failure an inner gloom as wide as an eye
Bodies by Drowning Pool
You're all by yourself but you're not alone / You wanted in now you're here
Superbeast by Rob Zombie
You pray so hard on bloody knees
Chop Suey! by System of a Down
Hide the scars to fade away the shake up
Handlebars by The Flobots [graphic]
I can do anything with no permission / I have it all under my command
Paint It, Black by The Rolling Stones
Maybe then I'll fade away and not have to face the facts
Wake Up! by Me Talk Pretty
We will never be the same
My Plague by Slipknot [Resident Evil clips in the official soundtrack vid]
I know why you blame me (yourself) / I know why you plague me (yourself)
Scumgrief (Deep Dub Trauma mix) by Fear Factory
I've seen your wounds / That you can't hide
Survivor Guilt by Rise Against
Carry on, don't mind me / All I gave was everything / And yet you ask me for more
The Hate In Me by Godhead
You've got to wake up, no time to make up / The life you wasted and everything that broke apart
Party Up by DMX [censored version]
Y'all gon' make me lose my cool up in here, up in here
Wasteland by 10 Years [link to official band MySpace]
Die, withdraw, hide in cold sweat, quivering lips / Ignore, remorse, naming a kid, living Wasteland
Giving In by Adema
Will you walk me / To the edge again / Shaking, lonely, and I am drinking again
Pain by Jimmy Eat World
Anyone can see my every flaw / It isn't hard / Anyone can say they're above this all / It takes my pain away
Coma White by Marilyn Manson
A pill to make you numb / A pill to make you dumb / A pill to make you anybody else
Down In A Hole by Alice in Chains
Down in a hole, feelin' so small / Down in a hole, outta control / I'd like to fly but my / Wings have been so denied
Juke-Joint Jezebel (Metropolis Mix) by KMFDM [Mortal Kombat soundtrack vid]
If I could leave my burning skin / that has been used up in your sin / is there a tiny part of me / untouched-unsoiled by misery
Guilty by Gravity Kills [graphic]
Now I'm done with nothing new, sometimes green sometimes blue / And I'm guilty
Big Empty by Stone Temple Pilots [The Crow fanvid by graphic movie scenes]
too much walkin', shoes worn thin / too much trippin' and my soul's worn thin
Hurt by Johnny Cash (cover of Nine Inch Nails)
I hurt myself today / To see if I still feel / I focus on the pain / the only thing that's real
Funeral Song by The Rasmus
I died in my dreams / What's that supposed to mean?
Bullet-proof Skin by Institute [live version]
I can't hold you / To lose you is to never love again
Always by Saliva
I feel, like you don't want me around / I guess I'll pack all my things
In Your Diary by All:My:Faults
it is the hope that keeps me here in this world
The Kill by 30 Seconds To Mars
I know now, this is who I really am inside / Finally found myself / Fighting for a chance / I know now, this is who I really am
Erase My Scars by Evans Blue
Fight this time / Inside, take a break from the lie you live / I came this far / Erase my scars
All Along The Watchtower by Jimi Hendrix
There are many here among us / Who feel that life is but a joke
Fuego by Pitbull
Ten cuidado con el fuego (It'll burn you!)
Grenade by Bruno Mars
You know I'd do anything for you
Savior by Rise Against
But seldom do these words ring true when I'm constantly failing you
Skeleton Jar by Youth Group
How can you stand there and watch this scene / I hate you for liking me
Fine Again by Seether
They say it’s over and I’m fine again, yeah / Try to stay sober feels like I’m dying here
Weak by Skunk Anansie
So what am I now I'm loves last home / I`m all of the soft words I once owned
Lose Yourself by Eminem
You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow / This opportunity comes once in a lifetime
Cold (But I'm Still Here) by Evans Blue
well I don't look like they do, and I don't love like they do / but I don't hate like they do / am I ever on your mind?
Entwined by Coal Chamber
You have made me alright complete again / Always willing to break down my will again
Howlin' For You by The Black Keys
It's true / Baby I'm howlin' for you
Links go to Youtube. I tried to link to official videos where they existed. Top of the list is a little metal heavy, so some of the vids may be graphic in nature. Be warned.
Army Green: Hooligans
The REO Mix
An Open Letter To Nyc by Beastie Boys
Dear New York I know a lot has changed / two towers down but you're still in the game
Hero Of War by Rise Against
I'll carry this flag / To the grave if I must / Because it's a flag that I love / And a flag that I trust
Counting Bodies Like Sheep by A Perfect Circle
I’ll be the one to protect you from your enemies and all your demons / I'll be the one to protect you from a will to survive and a voice of reason
Death Blooms by Mudvayne [this would probably be one of the graphic vids I warned about...]
Dark for fear of failure an inner gloom as wide as an eye
Bodies by Drowning Pool
You're all by yourself but you're not alone / You wanted in now you're here
Superbeast by Rob Zombie
You pray so hard on bloody knees
Chop Suey! by System of a Down
Hide the scars to fade away the shake up
Handlebars by The Flobots [graphic]
I can do anything with no permission / I have it all under my command
Paint It, Black by The Rolling Stones
Maybe then I'll fade away and not have to face the facts
Wake Up! by Me Talk Pretty
We will never be the same
My Plague by Slipknot [Resident Evil clips in the official soundtrack vid]
I know why you blame me (yourself) / I know why you plague me (yourself)
Scumgrief (Deep Dub Trauma mix) by Fear Factory
I've seen your wounds / That you can't hide
Survivor Guilt by Rise Against
Carry on, don't mind me / All I gave was everything / And yet you ask me for more
The Hate In Me by Godhead
You've got to wake up, no time to make up / The life you wasted and everything that broke apart
Party Up by DMX [censored version]
Y'all gon' make me lose my cool up in here, up in here
Wasteland by 10 Years [link to official band MySpace]
Die, withdraw, hide in cold sweat, quivering lips / Ignore, remorse, naming a kid, living Wasteland
Giving In by Adema
Will you walk me / To the edge again / Shaking, lonely, and I am drinking again
Pain by Jimmy Eat World
Anyone can see my every flaw / It isn't hard / Anyone can say they're above this all / It takes my pain away
Coma White by Marilyn Manson
A pill to make you numb / A pill to make you dumb / A pill to make you anybody else
Down In A Hole by Alice in Chains
Down in a hole, feelin' so small / Down in a hole, outta control / I'd like to fly but my / Wings have been so denied
Juke-Joint Jezebel (Metropolis Mix) by KMFDM [Mortal Kombat soundtrack vid]
If I could leave my burning skin / that has been used up in your sin / is there a tiny part of me / untouched-unsoiled by misery
Guilty by Gravity Kills [graphic]
Now I'm done with nothing new, sometimes green sometimes blue / And I'm guilty
Big Empty by Stone Temple Pilots [The Crow fanvid by graphic movie scenes]
too much walkin', shoes worn thin / too much trippin' and my soul's worn thin
Hurt by Johnny Cash (cover of Nine Inch Nails)
I hurt myself today / To see if I still feel / I focus on the pain / the only thing that's real
Funeral Song by The Rasmus
I died in my dreams / What's that supposed to mean?
Bullet-proof Skin by Institute [live version]
I can't hold you / To lose you is to never love again
Always by Saliva
I feel, like you don't want me around / I guess I'll pack all my things
In Your Diary by All:My:Faults
it is the hope that keeps me here in this world
The Kill by 30 Seconds To Mars
I know now, this is who I really am inside / Finally found myself / Fighting for a chance / I know now, this is who I really am
Erase My Scars by Evans Blue
Fight this time / Inside, take a break from the lie you live / I came this far / Erase my scars
All Along The Watchtower by Jimi Hendrix
There are many here among us / Who feel that life is but a joke
Fuego by Pitbull
Ten cuidado con el fuego (It'll burn you!)
Grenade by Bruno Mars
You know I'd do anything for you
Savior by Rise Against
But seldom do these words ring true when I'm constantly failing you
Skeleton Jar by Youth Group
How can you stand there and watch this scene / I hate you for liking me
Fine Again by Seether
They say it’s over and I’m fine again, yeah / Try to stay sober feels like I’m dying here
Weak by Skunk Anansie
So what am I now I'm loves last home / I`m all of the soft words I once owned
Lose Yourself by Eminem
You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow / This opportunity comes once in a lifetime
Cold (But I'm Still Here) by Evans Blue
well I don't look like they do, and I don't love like they do / but I don't hate like they do / am I ever on your mind?
Entwined by Coal Chamber
You have made me alright complete again / Always willing to break down my will again
Howlin' For You by The Black Keys
It's true / Baby I'm howlin' for you
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Movie Review: Fucking Amal (1998)
Fucking Amal
English title: Show Me Love
Rating: NR
Directed by Lukas Moodysson
Starring: Alexandra Dahlström, Rebecka Liljeberg and Erica Carlson
Imdb.com synopsis:
Åmål is a small insignificant town where nothing ever happens, where the latest trends are out of date when they get there. Young Elin has a bit of a bad reputation when it comes to guys, but the fact is that she has never done *it*. Another girl in her school, Agnes, is in love with her but is too shy to do anything about it. For different reasons, Elin ends up at Agnes' birthday party as the only guest. They have a girl's night out together but after that Elin desperately avoids Agnes, refusing to even consider her own homosexuality.
J thinks:
This film was like a more serious and realistic version of Two Girls in Love, except it focused on how the girls interacted with everyone else more than the relationship between them.
Elin, the popular party girl, was obnoxious, and prone to peer pressure while still being defiant enough that the ending of the movie was believable. Her constant mood swings and changing decisions made her seem more sympathetic to me. She's obviously just a kid trying to figure things out. Agnes, the outcast nerd, was believable in her depression and anger and her desire to continue believing Elin even after she's been betrayed by friends.
All in all, it was a painful pleasure to watch as it reminded me a bit too much of high school, but I took that as it being well written. The supporting characters were well defined and you were left feeling sympathetic towards them even as you rooted for Elin/Agnes, and the scenes between Agnes and her dad made me want to sniffle. The film has a nice mix of angst and hope, and there is a fluffy ending, otherwise I wouldn't have watched it.
English title: Show Me Love
Rating: NR
Directed by Lukas Moodysson
Starring: Alexandra Dahlström, Rebecka Liljeberg and Erica Carlson
Imdb.com synopsis:
Åmål is a small insignificant town where nothing ever happens, where the latest trends are out of date when they get there. Young Elin has a bit of a bad reputation when it comes to guys, but the fact is that she has never done *it*. Another girl in her school, Agnes, is in love with her but is too shy to do anything about it. For different reasons, Elin ends up at Agnes' birthday party as the only guest. They have a girl's night out together but after that Elin desperately avoids Agnes, refusing to even consider her own homosexuality.
J thinks:
This film was like a more serious and realistic version of Two Girls in Love, except it focused on how the girls interacted with everyone else more than the relationship between them.
Elin, the popular party girl, was obnoxious, and prone to peer pressure while still being defiant enough that the ending of the movie was believable. Her constant mood swings and changing decisions made her seem more sympathetic to me. She's obviously just a kid trying to figure things out. Agnes, the outcast nerd, was believable in her depression and anger and her desire to continue believing Elin even after she's been betrayed by friends.
All in all, it was a painful pleasure to watch as it reminded me a bit too much of high school, but I took that as it being well written. The supporting characters were well defined and you were left feeling sympathetic towards them even as you rooted for Elin/Agnes, and the scenes between Agnes and her dad made me want to sniffle. The film has a nice mix of angst and hope, and there is a fluffy ending, otherwise I wouldn't have watched it.
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