Petit Fours » movie

Les Miserable by Sia Huff

Sia Huff — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 05:02:11 +0000

“Hey Miss Maggie, I’m here,” I announced as I came through the front door. Yum, Miss Maggie been baking.
“Back in the kitchen, Sia. Come on and have something nice and warm to drink.”
“Smells wonderful,” I tell her as I go around the island to give her a hug. As cold as it is outside, the kitchen is warm and inviting. “We’ve sure had a lot of rain lately.”
“That’s Georgia for you in the winter,” Miss Maggie said. And she’d know as she’s lived in Georgia a whole lot longer than I have. “There’s apple cider in the refrig.”
“Sounds perfect.” I smiled, touched that she remembers I don’t drink coffee.
“The Oscars are on tonight. I hope you’ll have time to sit and watch them with me.”
“I wouldn’t miss it, Miss Maggie.” I get down a mug and pour a cup of cider, before popping it in the microwave. “Have any favorites?”
“Not me,” she said. “But I know how you love musicals, so I know who you’ll want to win.”
“I loved Les Miserable. It’s a great story. The music is so powerful. The cast superb.”
“Hugh Jackman sure is something special.” Her smile reminds me of a mischievous angel.
Who can argue with that? “He’s up for an Oscar, along with Anne Hathaway. Actually the movie has eight nominations.”
“That’s impressive.”
“I know you don’t like to go out to the movie theatre, but the DVD is being released on March 22, so you’ll be able to watch it then.”
“I look forward to it.”
“Well, I guess I better get working, so I can sit in front of the TV tonight.”
“You do that. I’ll bring the popcorn.”
“And a piece of that cobbler that’s cooking. Until then, here’s a preview of what you’ll see.”

Full Screen Preview

Janet Evanovich Interview

Tammy Schubert — Fri, 25 May 2012 04:12:32 +0000

Interview with Janet Evanovich
by Marilyn Baron and Linsey Lanier

We are thrilled to have Janet Evanovich as a guest chef on the Petit Fours and Hot Tamales blog today. We here at PF&HT are all big fans. In fact, our blog went as a group to see One for the Money when it was released. Some of us have even been fortunate enough to meet Janet at book signings.

Following are some questions Janet was kind enough to answer for us.

Who’s your favorite character in the series?

Lula is the most fun to write, but my overall favorite character is Diesel from the WICKED series.

If you were stranded on a desert island, would you rather be with Morelli or Ranger? And why? Which man in Stephanie’s life do your fans seem to prefer?

Well, Ranger does have special forces training. From our email traffic and from what readers tell us at book signings, the numbers are about 50/50.

What is the most important piece of advice you can offer pre-published writers on their quest to publication?

Keep writing. There’s a tendency after you finish a manuscript to over edit and over polish. Put your energy into starting your next book as you send your query letters to prospective agents. I wrote three books before I had my first sale.

As far as advice for published authors, what do you find is the best way to publicize your novel-Web site? Newsletter? Facebook? Personal appearances? Other?

All of the above. In addition, send a copy of your book to independent stores that specialize in your genre. For instance, independent mystery bookstores love to discover new writers and hand sell them to customers.

When did you discover you could write comedy?

Pretty early on. In my early romance novels, I usually found a way to inject humor.

What part of the writing craft challenges you the most?

Transitions. Seamlessly moving the reader from one scene to the next is critical to producing a page-turner and frequently takes a lot of thought on my part.

How many hours a day do you spend writing?

When I’m not on a hard deadline, I work a minimum of eight hours a day, seven days a week. When it’s crunch time, I could be up till all hours.

Is there an ultimate plan for Stephanie to end up with either Ranger or Morelli, and if so, will that signal the end of the series or a change in direction? Is the series going to stop at 20 or is there a targeted number of books planned?

That’s a well-guarded state secret. Seriously, I don’t know who, if anyone, Stephanie will end up with. Right now, I have no plans to end the series.

When is the next Stephanie Plum book scheduled for publication? In a nutshell, what will that book be about?

The next Plum will probably be out sometime in the fall, though the publisher doesn’t yet have an exact date. What’s it about? That’s another state secret.

Are any other books in the Stephanie Plum series going to be made into a movie?

I sold the movie rights nearly 20 years and have had nothing to do with the One For the Money movie. In other words, I don’t have an inside track on what the producers will want to do next. My guess is they’ll wait and see how the movie does at the box office before committing to another. I’ve seen a screening of the movie and I really like it.

How many of you have seen the Janet Evanovich movie? What’s your favorite character in the Stephanie Plum series? Who do you prefer, Ranger or Morelli and why? What do you like most about the Stephanie Plum books?

We saw the movie. Did you?

Tangled – A Disney Movie

Susan Carlisle — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 04:34:44 +0000

Tangled

Disney Movie

Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
DVD Release Date: March 29, 2011
Actors: Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi

When the kingdom’s most wanted – and most charming –bandit Flynn Rider hides in a mysterious tower, the last thing he expects to find is Rapunzel, a spirited teen with an unlikely superpower – 70 feet of magical golden hair! Together, the unlikely duo set off on a fantastic journey filled with surprising heroes, laughter and suspense.

A cute, fast paced tale that ends with the characters falling in love. Despite being a cartoon, the movie is a story of two characters looking for their place in the world. I bought the CD and plan to enjoy the movie over and over. Disney movies don’t disappoint and this one isn’t one either.