Movies I've Watched in 2016: Part 1

Film-wise, 2016 has been pretty entertaining so far. I usually visit the cinema once or twice a week, depending on the selection (and making full use of my Cineworld Unlimited Card). I'll try most genres, but I do tend toward mainstream Hollywood fare, unless something really catches my eye (I've been burned too many times by foreign-language films).

My only five-star film so far is Adam McKay's sensational, go-for-broke Wall Street black comedy, THE BIG SHORT. You really have to pay attention between the laughs, because it describes the complex moves that led to the near-total collapse of the US (and global) economic house of cards. Smart, frightening stuff.

 
Other nice surprises were David O'Russell's JOY, starring Jennifer Lawrence, which had received wishy-washy reviews (I loved it), the gripping suspense thriller 10 CLOVERFIELD LANE, and Kevin Reynolds' biblical procedural, RISEN, starring an excellent Joseph Fiennes.

Here's the complete list thus far. I'll post another one after the summer season is over.

10 Cloverfield Lane ****
Allegiant ***
Bad Neighbours 2 **
Batman vs Superman 3D ***
Captain America: Civil War 3D ****
Deadpool ***
Eddie the Eagle ****
Hail, Caesar! ***
High-Rise **
Joy ****
London Has Fallen ***
Midnight Special ***
Risen ****
Spotlight ****
The Big Short *****
The Finest Hours ****
The Huntsman 3D **
The Jungle Book 3D ****
The Revenant ****
Zootropolis 3D ****

 
And a couple of retro double-bill screenings I attended (the Cap films were actually screened as a triple, culminating with the equally brilliant Civil War):

 
Alien *****
Aliens *****
Captain America: First Avenger 3D ****
Captain America: Winter Soldier 3D ****

 
Next up, I'm really looking forward to Shane Black's THE NICE GUYS, starring Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling. The trailers are hilarious, and Black's previous films (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and Iron Man 3) both hit the spot for me.

Top Pick Review for The Mysterious Lady Law!

AmyC at Night Owl Reviews gave my steampunk novella 4.5/5 and a Top Pick rating! And the best part: she cited my two favourite Victorian authors, Haggard and Wells, in her review. :doffs bowler hat to AmyC:

Here's a snippet:

"Mr. Appleton’s voice reminded me of all the great classic books I loved to read, Haggard, Wells—so I was absolutely thrilled to find a modern day book with the same tone. Mr. Appleton’s Victorian London was very well done and I wouldn’t hesitate to read more of his works or recommend him to Steampunk fans."

Read the full review here

Great Review for Charlie Runs Rings!

My SF adventure Charlie Runs Rings Around the Earth received a 4/5 rating from Bitten By Books. Smashing news! I may join Charlie for a few victory laps later.

http://bittenbybooks.com/?p=23783

If you've yet to experience orbital running, head on over to Lyrical Press for a serious imagination workout.

Also available in e-book format from Fictionwise, Amazon Kindle, Diesel Ebooks, Mobipocket.

First Review: Godiva in the Firing Line

Penny Ehrenkranz over at 'One Writer's Journey' has posted a review of my recent SF war novelette, Godiva in the Firing Line. Hint: it's positive.

Take a look:

http://pennylockwoodehrenkranz.blogspot.com/2010/03/review-godiva-in-firing-line.html

She'll also be interviewing me later in the week, so keep an eye out for that.

Thanks Penny!

New Review for Sunset on Ramree!

A week before the 65th anniversary of its tragic true events, my WW2 crocodile thriller Sunset on Ramree has received FIVE STARS from Readers Favourite!

Check out what the reviewer had to say: http://readersfavorite.com/cat-71.htm?review=2824

Great Review For The Basingstoke Chronicles!

It might not have made a splash right away, but my time travel novel The Basingstoke Chronicles has performed steadily since September, and now comes this super review from Bitten By Books. Note the reviewer's fondness for Wells and Verne, two of the authors that inspired my tale from the outset. This makes me happy.

5 Tombstones (Highest Rating)

Lord Henry Basingstoke searches the world over for adventure, spending his time on research and discovery. His wealth and station in life have made the world his playground.
When a corpse is found floating in the Caribbean Sea, Lord Henry and his cronies cannot pass up the challenge to investigate the bizarre mystery. The Enigman is wearing a garment only twenty years old but made from an animal extinct for over nine thousand years.

When Lord Henry reaches the sight, he stumbles across a technology from a distant future that has the power to send them through time. Lord Henry now has the ability to retrace the footsteps of the Enigman and return to an ancient time with a civilization advanced beyond comprehension.

The Basingstoke Chronicles is a novel any speculative fiction fan would enjoy. Robert Appleton’s creative mind runneth over with imagination, and we as readers are the lucky recipients of that creativity . For those of us who long for stories in the vein of Wells and Verne, we now have it with The Basingstoke Chronicles.

The novel has time travel, ancient civilizations, mythical creatures and locations and natural disaster. I could not ask for more.

I felt in the moment with the characters throughout the book. Every discovery made, I was a part of, every disaster averted, I felt relief. This is the kind of book that makes you hope the author has more installments planned in the future. I believe, if continued, it has a great chance to become an epic series. I guess by now you can tell I highly recommend The Basingstoke Chronicles.

http://bittenbybooks.com/?p=17564

3-Part Review for Esther May Morrow's Mysteries

I think even Esther May herself would be proud of these new reviews at Bitten by Books. All three EMM ebooks are praised, especially for their unpredictability--which makes me a very happy mystery writer indeed. Paranormal mysteries, I might add.

Check out Carol's views on the eponymous gift shop and its many enticing trinkets:

Esther May Morrow's Buy or Borrow:

http://bittenbybooks.com/?p=14623

Lot 62: An Esther May Morrow Mystery:

http://bittenbybooks.com/?p=14924

Fruitless: An Esther May Morrow Fantasy:

http://bittenbybooks.com/?p=14929

All titles are available as ebooks at Eternal Press & Fictionwise, or in paperback on Amazon.

Happy Holidays!

REVIEW: Finnish Fantasies by Sloane Taylor

FINNISH FANTASIES

Sloane Taylor

Published by Amber Quill Press (Amber Heat)

Length: Novella

ISBN-13: 978-1-60272-572-0 (Electronic)

Erotic/ Contemporary Romantic Comedy

Being Maid of Honor in Finland over Midsummer’s Eve is supposed to be fun, but for jingle writer Kate Adams it’s a nightmare. Things go from bad to worse when her high-priced rental car dies on an endless ribbon of bone-dry country road. Help arrives in the form of a delicious-looking, blue-collar local who just might make it all worthwhile.

Rurik Jaacko knows better than to stop for the princess perched on the hood of a Mercedes. Hot women and expensive cars are trouble, but he’s a sucker for any damsel in distress. The last thing he expects is to play bellhop to the sensual American, and love every sizzling moment.

A rustic pig farm and a friend who isn’t combine with deception to create the backdrop for earthy passion and international fraud...

So...what can a hunky pig farmer who owns a forest, and a strong-willed jingle writer on her way to be Maid of Honour at a posh wedding, possibly have in common? Well, this being a Sloane Taylor story, you already know there will be a lot of witty repartee, lots of neurotic fireworks, and LOTS of very hot sex. No one combines these elements of erotic comedy better.

Ms. Taylor is on fine form with this hugely enjoyable Scandinavian concoction. Kate’s snarky put-downs are a hoot, while Rurik, quickly revelling in his role as impromptu host, serves up plenty of surprises for his sexy American guest. Both characters are fun to be around. I was also intrigued by a sub-plot involving Kate’s best friend, Lucy, whose high society betrothal to the loathsome Lars takes a startling turn.

One thing I love about Ms. Taylor’s writing is the endless reservoir of wit she can dip into at will. Mundane exchanges become sparkling back-and-forths as her characters vie for dominance. Also worth mentioning is the satisfying research that goes into bringing these exotic countries to life. The customs, language, and genuine feel for this rural environment kept me immersed. I’ll definitely look forward to seeing where Ms. Taylor visits next. In the meantime, Finnish Fantasies is great fun.

Warning: contains scorching sex scenes, BDSM, a flagrant disregard for clothing, and the cutest spokes-pig ever.

Hurry on over to Amber Quill to purchase:

http://www.amberquill.com/AmberHeat/FinnishFantasies.html

And here's another by Sloane Taylor: Czech Mate

http://www.amberquill.com/AmberHeat/CzechMate.html

Don't forget to visit Sloane's website and blog. She's one of my favourite authors.

http://www.sloanetaylor.com/

August Round-Up

Damnation Books signed my latest sci-fi future novella, Godiva in the Firing Line, a fascinating mix of war, romance, politics, and deep space adventure. It's scheduled for a March 2010 release and will be my second title at Damnation. More info soon.

I read a number of strong books this month, including three I had on my TBR list for well over a year. Cormac McCarthy's The Road exerts a vice-like grip. Strikingly barren in terms of setting and even punctuation, it's also one of the richest post-apocalyptic tales I've read, by virtue of a wonderful, mostly unspoken relationship between father and son. It's man's existence pared down to day-by-day, scavenge by scavenge, survival. McCarthy's imagery is razor-edged, and his ending couldn't be more powerful. A must-read.

Stephen King's The Mist is one I desperately wanted to read after seeing the movie, which I loved. And a faithful adaptation it was, too (apart from the ending!). The novella is chock full of King's quirky observations on everyday folk; all his characters react differently to the truly horrific scenario. I especially liked the rise of superstition as the core group of "heroes" tries its best to steer a logical path. We get glimpses of the very best and (mostly) worst of people under pressure. Riveting stuff!

I'd heard so much about Stephanie Meyer's Twilight that, frankly, my expectations weren't high. Vampires were long-in-the-tooth decades ago, and I'm not a huge fan of high school romances. I like the sensual aspect of vamps, and the gothic settings they used to frequent; but how many times have we seen garlic, crucifixes, wooden stakes, shafts of sunlight etc? Too bloody many (pun intended). The Hammer horror Dracula movies are my favourite incarnations--period creep-fests with bags of atmosphere. Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. Yes, yes. Here, I was prepared for a cringe-worthy modern soap with goths, bad text messages etc. What I got was a long-winded but compelling forbidden romance. Bella is a nicely written heroine--a gawky klutz in a new school, an unassuming beauty with real intelligence. She falls head over heels for the mysterious Edward Cullen, whose mood swings rival Jekyll and Hyde on a bad hair day. Edward is clearly the author's image of male perfection--extraordinary good looks, dark, brooding, with superhuman attributes. Their relationship takes many turns--probably too many--but I enjoyed Meyer's intimate storytelling, along with the clever disclosure of Edward's real identity. A good, solid read.

My favourite new DVDs this month were Knowing, an enthralling, portentous thriller starring Nicolas Cage; Zack Snyder's bizarre but impressive superhero opus, Watchmen, featuring a truly fascinating super-being called Dr. Manhattan; Doubt, an acting masterclass from Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman; and Mickey Rourke's The Wrestler, one of the best films I've seen all year.

I didn't really fancy any of the cinema releases this month, but I've seen trailers for a few that have caught my eye. District 9, an alien action-mystery set in South Africa, looks amazing. James Cameron's Avatar will be an absolute treat in 3D--to my mind, he's made six brilliant films in a row, not counting this one. More delicious 3D from Robert Zemeckis (A Christmas Carol) and Tim Burton (Alice in Wonderland), two of my favourite directors. I'm also looking forward to Joe Johnston's The Wolf Man, Roland Emmerich's disaster epic 2012, and Peter Jackson's The Lovely Bones. A pretty good winter line-up!

Till next time,

Rob

REVIEW: Sarah's Journey by Ginger Simpson

Sarah's Journey

by Ginger Simpson

Historical Western Romance
eBook

72,000 words
Eternal Press
http://www.eternalpress.ca/sarahsjourney.html

1850. Somewhere on the Santa Fe Trail...

Sarah Collins awakens to a scene of utter carnage. Everyone in her wagon train headed for California has been slaughtered during a savage Indian raid. Weak and dazed, Sarah finds one survivor, her best friend, and sets about trying to revive her. But the poor woman’s arrow wound is mortal. She dies. Sarah is now completely alone in the world—homeless, penniless and stranded. In scene after scene of arresting pragmatism, we come to know Sarah not by her misfortunes, but through the resourceful ways in which she deals with them. This is a woman of her time, an upstanding, God-fearing daughter of pioneers, and she is going to survive.

Soon after starting her journey back to civilization, Sarah happens on the body of a (seemingly) dying Indian. Irony rears its head and bites her—in the form of a rattlesnake—when she tries to take his horse and ends up in his care. He slowly nurses her back to health. Against all odds, on the road to Independence, an unspoken attraction develops between the two. His name is Grey Wolf. He is a handsome man of mixed blood—his father was white, his mother was Indian—who sees the world through eyes every bit as pragmatic as Sarah’s. Will their true feelings for each other win out? What will happen when they reach Independence?

Sarah’s Journey is a heartfelt Western romance that doesn’t merely settle for being a romance. Its themes of intolerance and defining one’s own identity are prevalent throughout. The protagonist is a sensitive yet uncompromisingly moral woman, a spinster on the verge of love. She is by turns abrasive and adorable, and particularly in the final third of the story, adorably abrasive. For Sarah, equality is not an ideal but an absolute. Woe betide anyone who suggests otherwise. Yet for all her forthrightness, the biggest obstacle she faces is in her own heart—forbidden love.

I thoroughly enjoyed Ms. Simpson’s recreation of Western life. The word that kept coming to mind as I read this story was uncompromising. Little is omitted, whether it be gruesome wounds, the preparation of herbs and food, Sarah’s body language, or the precise terms for the different noises made by a horse. I loved seeing all this research come to life. The author’s passion for the period and particularly for her characters shone throughout. This was clearly a labour of love. The only quibble I had was with the ending. I suspect many will lap it up, but I found the concept more compelling than the execution. I was hoping for a more bittersweet denouement. Nevertheless, it took a brave writer to end her novel that way. And having never read a woman’s western before, I can say unequivocally that Ms. Simpson, like her heroine, has real gumption.

--Robert Appleton


Don't miss this superb story at Eternal Press:

http://www.eternalpress.ca/sarahsjourney.html (eBook)

and now in paperback at Amazon!

ParaNormalRomance Review for LOT 62!

Make that three glowing reviews in a row for Lot 62: An Esther May Morrow Mystery. The latest is from ParaNormal Romance, home of the P.E.A.R.L. Awards. Here's a quote:

"LOT 62 AN ESTHER MAY MORROW MYSTERY is a short, thrilling story. Arthur Everest does a fantastic job of setting up the story and seamlessly weaves in Julie's past association with MI6. While this story can easily be read in one sitting, it's full of non-stop action and kept my interest. If you're in the mood for a quick, thrilling read with a very bizarre ending, don't pass this by."

Read the full review here: http://www.paranormalromance.org/reviews/review.php?id=30685

First Review for LOT 62

ESTHER MAY MORROW'S LOT 62

ARTHUR EVEREST

ISBN#9781926640587/9781926647340

January 2009

Eternal Press

http://www.eternalpress.ca/esthermaymorrowLot62.html

E-Book/Print

$3.50

33 pages

Mystery/Paranormal

Rating: 4 Cups

Julie Blalock is an ex-agent with MI6, called up for an assignment by the Ministry of Defense. Widowed because of an error on the part of MI6, Julie never planned to go back in the secret agent business ever again -- until today. She is intrigued enough to impersonate Dorothy Buchan, a rich widowed socialite with an unsavory past.

Ms. Esther May Morrow is putting on an extravagant auction with known ties to the underworld. She is here to find out who killed her fiancé and is putting everything here tonight up for bid at auction, even enlisting the aid of “Dorothy Buchan” to help her.

Lot 62 is one of two existing works by the Mayan King Vichama. This is what everyone wants to get their hands on, or so Julie is being told. Having to go undercover and secure “The Archangel” at all costs is her assignment. Ms. Esther May Morrow believes the person responsible for the death of her fiancé is going to be bidding on Lot 62 and she is ready to unveil the killer by fair means or foul.

This is a very fast and furiously paced bit of whimsy that keeps you on your toes. I had no idea exactly what this was going to be about, and you will not care because you will be as caught up in it as I was. This is the second in the series and is able to stand alone quick nicely. But I must say I now want to read the first and be in line to get the next couple stories in the series hinted at in the book. The end is so surprising and the twists and turns this takes you on makes you wonder how this quick tale packs such a big punch.

Lainey

Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More

New Review for The Elemental Crossing!

Elemental Crossing/Robert Appleton/Eternal Press/ebook/68pages

Marooned on Kratos with the man of her dreams, Kate isn’t always happy to go along with Jason’s wild schemes. Yet they have to find a place where they can survive in this hostile environment while they wait to see if a spaceship will come to rescue them.

Once again in this second book Kate and Jason are confronted by strange creatures. Some are friendly, some are dangerous, some are simply food – and some are poisonous to eat. How can they tell the difference? Kate falls ill and in a terrifying electric storm caused by an unidentified creature, Kate and Jason are separated. Each has to journey on alone to find a place to survive neither knowing if the other has survived. Will they survive and find happiness?

The second book in this fascinating sci-fi thriller series is as good as the first.

Five red roses, Linda






http://redrosesforauthors.blogspot.com/2008/10/elemental-crossing.html

Review For The Eleven-Hour Fall

Red Roses For Authors have just posted a review for my sci-fi romance novella! Here it is:


Robert Appleton/Eleven Hour Fall/Eternal Press/ebook/54 pages

Kate is with a team looking for important minerals on a new planet called Kratos. She is in love with one of the other team members, but Remington doesn't know it - though he seems interested. While exploring a mountain range they suffer a terrible rock slide and are sent sliding down the surface. Kate is trained in survival and when she discovers that Remington is still alive but unconscious she ties them both together and jumps, hoping to land on the surface of the planet with her chute. However, she goes into a long, long free fall. When they are swooped on by huge birdlike monsters and then dropped the adventure begins.

This is a story of surviving and of a determined woman. Kate is going to do her utmost to save her man and she has to fight off various monsters and all kinds of perils. It is a relief when Remington recovers consciousness and starts to help her. This excellent book is imaginative and well written and has a surprise in store at the end. I don't often 'Love' science fiction but I did this one! Five red roses, Linda