WE ARE THE MILLERS - MOVIE REVIEW

This is an unoriginal, but very ridiculous “adult” comedy in which you can see really charming actors and striptease performed by Jennifer Aniston.

We’re the Millers (2013)

Comedy

Director: Rawson Marshall Thurber

Starring: Jennifer Aniston, Jason Sudeikis, Emma Roberts, Will Poulter, Ed Helms, Nick Offerman.

David (J.Sudeikis) is a drug dealer “with the principles”. Of course he sells drugs but he does not sell it to children and in general he is a good guy.  One late evening he intercedes for a girl who is attacked by three street gangs. As a result he loses all his “goods” and personal savings. His source (E.Helms) is ready to forgive the David’s debt if he goes to Mexico and brings “a little” marijuana from there. But how is it possible not to raise suspicions of the custom officers? Very easy! You can “hire” your neighbors to pretend an average respectable American family.

BOOK BLAST - THE SILVER STRAND BY L.J. CLARKSON + $50 GIFT CARD GIVEAWAY

The Silver Strand

Ever since twelve year old Isabelle Tresdon’s silver strand of hair sprouted, it’s been nothing but trouble: bleeding pink dust and sparking like a firecracker. Refusing to be known as the girl with the freaky, grandma hair, she wishes it never grew and the hair withers and tarnishes. The only problem is, the strand is Isabelle's source of magic, and she can transform particles of energy into matter. It's also her ticket into Mastermind Academy, a secret school inside the earth’s core. Five days remain before the strand drains her magic and life, forcing Isabelle to enter into a deal with two trickster Masterminds to save it. But what she doesn't count on is there is more at stake than just her life. The Silver Strand, a MG Fantasy Adventure for 9-12 year olds, is book 1 in the Mastermind Academy Series.

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AT THE CINEMA: THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS CITY OF BONES - SEEN WITH MY KIDS

Note added on Wednesday 5th September 2013: I've seen the movie again at a week's distance. Different theatre, different audience, in my niece's company: second time it was much better! I'd write a different review, honestly. But I won't. I'll only give you this "legenda": the first part was just very good rewatching it (see the "What didn't work" section of present review).  I didn't have the same impression I had the first time. I'd like to re-watch it a third time now  to see what happens but... I'll have to wait for my digital copy when it will be released. I've pre-ordered it. 

_________________________

I’ve been looking forward to seeing this film for a while.  I told you how it all started, do  you remember? 

Mission City of Bones accomplished today.  I saw the movie,  I made a new shadowhunter  without needing any mortal instrument - seeing Jamie Campbell Bower on screen was enough for her  (my niece, 16).   I can go to bed  happy and satisfied.

The first film of what is supposed to become a saga has arrived  today here in Italy and I was at the nearest theatre (one hour’s drive)  in time  for the first afternoon screening. The Italian title of the movie is “Shadowhunters - Città di Ossa” , based on Cassandra Clare's series of books, The Mortal Instruments, YA urban fantasy,  which sold 22 millions copies all over the world.

Young people in my family  were at  first puzzled for my sudden, unexpected enthusiasm for a YA series but, teasing me,  they decided they had to discover why The Mortal Instruments had succeeded where the Twilight Saga , Harry Potter , The Lord of The Rings and all the others hadn’t.  Hence, a few of them brought me to the cinema with them or was it more “I brought them to the cinema with me”?

BOOK BLITZ TOUR - LAST CHANCE REUNION BY LINDA CONRAD + GIVEAWAY

About Linda Conrad

Best selling author Linda Conrad writes for Harlequin-Silhouette Books. Her novels have been translated into sixteen languages and are sold in over twenty-two countries!

Linda’s sensual characters and passionate stories have brought her numerous awards and raves! Over the years her workshops for RWA chapters and conferences have helped many writers learn new skills and techniques.

Growing up in south Florida, Linda made up stories and read everything she could get her hands on. After college, she taught first grade in Miami and tried to give the children as much love for the written word as she’d always felt. When her own true-life hero came along and whisked her away to five cities in seven years, Linda became a sales assistant, a quality control supervisor, a ninety-unit apartment manager and finally a stockbroker and Certified Financial Planner in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas.

BOOKS TO MOVIES GIVEAWAY HOP - WIN AN E-BOOK OF YOUR CHOICE!

Do you like reading books adapted for the small or big screen? Do you like to compare and contrast? Are you extremely strict and demanding when it comes to judging the adaptations of your favourite books? Then, this giveaway hop is just for you ... Bookhounds and I am a reader, not a writer organized this hop and I'm glad to be part of it and to offer you an e-book of your choice (kindle edition) among the following. They are all books I wrote about in the latest months and books which have become movies or series. Choose your favourite, leave a comment below with the title and then take as many chances as you can in the rafflecopter form. This giveaway ends on September 3rd and is open worldwide.

LOOKING FORWARD TO THE PARADISE SERIES 2? HERE'S SOMETHING TO FILL IN THE WAITING: THE CD OF THE OFFICIAL SOUNDTRACK!

While watching and loving The Paradise back in autumn 2012, I immediately noticed that it had perfect music, beautiful soundtrack, didn't you? I particularly liked it and thought it was just brilliant match to the gorgeous locations, perfect costumes and gripping story-line. 

Silva Screen Records release the soundtrack for the BBC series The Paradise just today! The set includes a beautiful booklet with images from the BBC drama.

Series 1 of The Paradise was broadcast on BBC 1 from 25 September to 13 November 2012 and is now going to premiere on American PBS on  October 6th.  

No dates yet for series two on BBC1. They are still shooting it in the North of England and promised their fans series 2 for next autumn.

SPOTLIGHT ON ... STARCHILD: THE CITY OF SOULS BY VACEN TAYLOR + GIVEAWAY

Starchild: The City of Souls

In The Age of Akra, a pilgrimage to the Valley of a Thousand Thoughts brings together four children as an ancient prophecy is set in motion. Having triumphed against dangerous adversaries, Mai, Long, Akra and Sahib are now pursued by the melkarie and must escape to the City of Souls. In the land of Naroan, in a city hidden under a blanket of living green, they are confronted with the challenge to find the Singing Soul.

But the underworld has other plans, and a beast so fierce is conjured to stop the children from finding anything that will add to the power to the prophecy of the seven nations.

Website * Pre-order * Goodreads

"I DO LIVE IN THE BOOKS I WRITE!" - MEET PATRICIA ROSEMOOR, CO-AUTHOR OF WRITTEN IN THE STARS

My interview with Sherril Bodine was up on blog on 12th August. She wrote "Written in the Stars" with Patricia Rosemoor, who is my guest today to answer some questions about herself and their book. Meet her and enjoy our little chat.

Hello Patricia! It’s a great pleasure to have you as my guest at FLY HIGH! I’ve already discussed  “Written in the Stars” with Sherrill a couple of weeks ago and now it’s your turn.   Could  you briefly present yourself to our readers?

Written in the Stars is my fourth project with Entangled Suspense – my next is Animal Instincts, to be released in November. I cut my teeth on romantic suspense writing for Harlequin Intrigue, Blaze and Bombshell. I also co-wrote a couple of urban fantasy romantic thrillers for Del Rey with another author.  Sherrill Bodine and I have been part of the same critique group for twenty-some years and have long been good friends.

ONCE AGAIN ON THE FOOTSTEPS OF RICHARD III - ENGLAND SUMMER 2013

Leicester

My recent journey through England was again partly on the footsteps of Richard III, like two years ago. Today is the anniversary of  King Richard's death in battle at Bosworth , 22nd August 1485,  and I think it is the perfect occasion to share with you some facts and pictures from the interesting sites I visited in July.

Leicester

This time last year (25 August 2012) work began on the excavation of the Greyfriars car park and the remains of King Richard III were finally rediscovered. Screenwriter Philippa Langley inaugurated the search for the king's lost grave as part of her research into the real Richard for a screenplay. 

The University of Leicester and Leicester City Council, with the support of the Richard III Society, excavated the site. During the course of the excavation, the skeleton of an adult male was discovered after just a few days. Surprisingly,  the first human remains found were proved to be, beyond all reasonable doubt, those of King Richard III through radiocarbon dating and DNA tests.

US RELEASE FOR LYNN SHEPHERD'S LITERARY MURDER MYSTERY, A FATAL LIKENESS - WIN A COPY!

(I used Grammarly to grammar check this post, because time spent proofreading could be time spent reading good books or writing new interesting pieces!)

On occasion of its release for the USA market, with a slightly different title and a totally new cover, here's a novel I had the pleasure to read and review a while ago, Lynn Shepherd's latest novel in the Charles Maddox literary murder series: A Fatal Likeness.

Here's how it is presented on amazon.com:

With The Solitary House, award-winning author Lynn Shepherd introduced readers to Charles Maddox, a brilliant private detective plying his trade on the gaslit streets of Dickensian London. Now, in this mesmerizing new novel of historical suspense, a mystery strikes disturbingly close to home—and draws Maddox into a world of literary legends, tormented souls, and a legacy of terrible secrets.

SPOTLIGHT ON ... TO CATCH A PRINCESS BY CARIDAD PINEIRA & GREAT GIVEAWAY

About Caridad Pineiro

New York Times and USA Today bestselling paranormal and romantic suspense author Caridad Pineiro wrote her first novel in the fifth grade when her teacher assigned a project – to write a book for a class lending library. Bitten by the writing bug, Caridad continued with her passion for the written word and in 1999, Caridad’s first novel was released. Over a decade later, Caridad is the author of more than thirty published novels and novellas. When not writing, Caridad is an attorney, wife and mother to an aspiring writer and fashionista.

CLEAR YOUR SHELF GIVEWAY HOP - WIN JULIA QUINN'S HISTORICAL ROMANCES! 2 WINNERS - 4 BOOKS

Welcome to another great event! I must have already told you about this and I hope you don't mind if I repeat myself. I just want to explain the reason of my taking part in this kind of giveaway hops.

I'm sure you know how much I love reading and collecting books. I know many people who are jealous of their books and, actually, I am quite jealous of  mine, too. However, what I love much more than to keep them on my shelves and dust them - I've got several hundreds of them kept in every room of my house and go on receiving new ones every day-   is to spread the love for books and reading. So, to that purpose, I'm always glad to lend them to family and friends or give them away. Hence, more than"operation clean your shelf", which sounds something like "let's get rid of bad stuff", my contribution to this giveaway hop is more "let's spread the love"!

Many thanks to Inspired Kathy at  I Am A Reader, not A Writer  and Mary at BookHounds for hosting this Giveaway Hop.

THE WHITE QUEEN AND A GREAT KING, RICHARD III.

The Three York Brothers: Richard, George and Edward

Regular readers of FLY HIGH! know how much I've come to love King Richard III and that I have started a personal quest in search for the real man and ruler - as opposed to Shakespeare's villain - in the latest years. After several readings and trips and journeys to England, I've become a convinced Ricardian. 

For instance, my interest in the last Plantagenet king has taken me to Leicester last month, to visit the place where his remains had been found few months earlier and even made me watch BBC The White Queen. 

REVIEW: THE INFERNAL DEVICES BY CASSANDRA CLARE - VICTORIAN LONDON & THE SHADOWHUNTERS WORLD

A full immersion in The Shadowhunters Chronicles these days! I've been reading Cassandra Clare's trilogy The Infernal Devices (prequel to The Mortal Instruments), I've been following the huge publicity campaign for the first movie based on the shadowhunters world (TheMortal Instruments City of Bones), and re-reading City of Bones for aread-a-long meant to be a sort of counting down to the movie release .

The shadowhunters in The Mortal Instruments series are half angel half human creatures who  fight demons in present-day New York city. In The Infernal Devices their ancestors have to fulfil the same task in a dark Victorian London setting. The stories of the two series are somehow intertwined,  more so than you might expect. Once back in time and in London,  you find yourself in the same fascinating world you had known with Clary Fray in 21st century NY , a world made of blood, danger, fight, runes, iratzes, great values and deep love.

SPOTLIGHT ON ... CURSE OF PASSION BY MELISSA BOURBON RAMIREZ + GIVEAWAY

Let's read from the book

Johanna paced and turned toward him, but still hadn’t noticed Ray in the doorway. He catalogued her features. She was thirty-two, with honey-colored skin, cheekbones that gave her an exotic look, long, dark hair…

As it often did, his gaze hitched at her full, red lips. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d kissed lips like that. Maybe never.

The sliver of skin showing between her sweater and her pants drew his eyes. She looked far hotter than any teacher had a right to—certainly hotter than any teacher he’d ever had. Thank God, or he’d never have graduated.

He felt his eyes pinch and blinked hard to break the drugged feeling that suddenly slid over him. He’d done his best to steer clear of her for years, and after this conversation, he’d go back to staying away.

IT IS FAR MORE HONOURABLE TO FAIL THAN TO CHEAT ... AT SCHOOL AND NOT ONLY THERE.

Respected Teacher,

My son will have to learn I know that all men are not just, all men are not true. But teach him also that for every scoundrel there is a hero; that for every selfish politician, there is a dedicated leader. Teach him that for every enemy there is a friend.

It will take time, I know; but teach him, if you can, that a dollar earned is far more valuable than five found.

Teach him to learn to lose and also to enjoy winning.

Steer him away from envy, if you can.

Teach him the secret of quite laughter. Let him learn early that the bullies are the easiest to tick.

Teach him, if you can, the wonder of books... but also give him quiet time to ponder over the eternal mystery of birds in the sky, bees in the sun, and flowers on a green hill –side.

In school teach him it is far more honourable to fail than to cheat.

BOOK BLAST - WORKING IT OUT BY RACHEL ANDERSON

Tour Schedule

Author Rachael Renee Anderson Rachael Anderson is the author of five novels (Working It Out, The Reluctant Bachelorette, Minor Adjustments, Luck of the Draw, and Divinely Designed) and two novellas (Twist of Fate, from the All I Want anthology and The Meltdown Match from The Timeless Romance Anthology: Summer Wedding Collection). She's the mother of four and is pretty good at breaking up fights, or at least sending guilty parties to their rooms. She can't sing, doesn't dance, and despises tragedies. But she recently figured out how yeast works and can now make homemade bread, which she is really good at eating.

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THE "BEFORE" TRILOGY: THE COMPLETE LOOK OF LOVE

by guest blogger Prima Santika

It’s LOVE in your twenties, and then thirties, and then fourties. From love you can call the first which seems to be grander than life at that time, goes to the one when you think you either doubt or master the term love itself, and finally to the one that prevails when your life [and your body] is no longer pretty. The “BEFORE” trilogy wonderfully explores them all.

What’s called the “BEFORE” trilogy is the three movies entitled BEFORE SUNRISE [1995], BEFORE SUNSET [2004] and BEFORE MIDNIGHT [2013]. These three movies are made possible by three people, the Director Richard Linklater, the Actor Ethan Hawke and the Actress Julie Delpy, who co-write the movies together [except for the first one where Ethan and Julie are only acting]. I don’t really know how they do it technically, but all I can personally say for them is that they must be the best team in making a movie imitation from real life. You will feel connected to these movies. Not to the characters or to the stories, but merely to the conversations, which is a lot! So, if you’re not a big fan of listening to what characters are talking in a movie, then these movies will put you asleep in five minutes, guaranteed. But if you have a keen interest in life [not only, but mostly about, love], then these ones will feed your hunger head and touch your tender heart.

Throughout the trilogy, the movies follow the two main characters, Jesse and Celine. A boy and a girl in the first movie, who become a man and a woman in the last one. That’s exactly what they are as characters, no more and no less, simply male and female. What they do for living doesn’t really matter, and even in their fourty with a son and a twin daughters, they’re not referred to as a husband and a wife. It’s interesting, actually.

AUTHOR'S SPOTLIGHT TOUR: MEET SHERRILL BODINE, AUTHOR OF "WRITTEN IN THE STARS"

Hello Sherrill and welcome to FLY HIGH! I’m glad to talk about your  “Written in the Stars” as well as writing and reading with you. Could  you briefly present yourself to our readers?

Thank you so much for asking me here!  I’m thrilled to talk about Written in the Stars, my 19th book.  After writing three contemporaries for Grand Central Publishing and co-authoring a comic book series (an ongoing project) I loved the change back to a historical period ( I did 6 Regency novels for Fawcett).

Romance and black magic, past and present,  suspence and adventure. “Written in the Stars” promises to be a real  gripping page- turner. Where did you take inspiration for such an intriguing blend?

The subject of Reincarnation has always fascinated me and I loved writing Intrigues for Harlequin so to combine both – plus history into this epic love story was too yummy to resist!

GISBORNE: THE BOOK OF KNIGHTS BY PRUE BATTEN - MY REVIEW & GIVEAWAY

(Book 2 of The Gisborne Saga by Prue Batten)

MY REVIEW

Ysabel is now De Courcey’s widow, Gisborne has been caught, imprisoned  and tortured with the accusation of  killing her husband.  Ysabel knows he is safe now but  why can’t he come back to her and their little son?

Gisborne and her, their love,  just past memories. She’s been left alone with their little boy, William. Gisborne has her helped and protected by loyal Ulric and a bunch of reliable servants. She must hide and move throughout Europe, as Gisborne disposes.  Problem is she is not a woman who easily accepts to be ordered  .

Gisborne has been  far away for long now,  a man of King Richard the Lionheart, who spared his life and trusts him.  She fears she will never see him again and  doesn’t know what her fate is going to be, she fears for her little William’s future,  William of  Gisborne. Will she ever see father and son together again?

The memory of them  together  “plucks at her heart like a troubador’s fingers” and makes her fall in love with Gisborne each time, though her feelings are torn.   

THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS: CITY OF BONES . READ-A-LONG + GIVEAWAY. CHAPTER 10 RECAP & MY REACTION TO THE UPCOMING MOVIE

Welcome to Day 10  of The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (*) Read-A-Long hosted by Kayla at Ramblings of a Book Junkie! I'm very excited to be a part of it.  21 days, 23 chapters and a gripping tale to read during August until the official premiere of  The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones the Movie (August 21st).

Chapter 10 Recap - Welcome to the City of Bones!

Clary is in NY Institute where, little by little,  she discovers  he truth about her mother's past and her own identity. 
Hodge, the tutor of the two Lightwood siblings and Jace, reveals that he was a member of the secret group of young shadowhunters called The Circle,  to which Jocelyn, Clary's  mother, belonged too.  Jocelyn was married to Valentine Morgernstern at the time.

Revelation after revelation, Clary is extremely puzzled. She makes up her mind to discover what her mother has tried to hide from her all her life long. She will meet the Silent Brothers, as Jace suggests, and  they will read her mind. Jace and Hodge are sure all the answers are inside Clary's head.

Simon is in the Istitute too, but he is unkindly dismissed by Jace. Isabelle accompanies him to the door. 

Clary is  rather confused and hasn't completely recovered from the demon's poisonous attack.  When Jace wakes her up very early the next morning,  she finds herself in bed, experiencing the strangest dream of herself dancing with Simon first then with Jace. She can't even remember how she got to bed. 

BOOKSHELF TOUR - NEVERMORE, A NOVEL OF LOVE, LOSS & EDGAR ALLAN POE BY DAVID NIALL WILSON

Holes in the Heart of History

guest post by David Niall Wilson

Anyone familiar with my work (and I say this with a smile, because I'm aware that's not as large a group as it ought to be) knows that I love history.  I also have opinions about it, which I've written about before.  I doubt very sincerely that very much of what we know of the events of our past is accurate.  We have history books.  We have journalistic accounts.  We have diaries and biographies and even stories passed through families from generation to generation, but all of them are colored by society, prejudice, and simple error.  None of that is what matters. What matters is that we keep that past alive – that we don't let our history escape us.

I live in a state with one of the longer domestic histories, North Carolina.  When British governors ruled the day, Quakers inhabited this area; plantations grew where forests and fields had stood.  In other words, Americans put down roots.  Thankfully, those roots are deep here.  There are homes dating back to the 1600s.  There are families who have lived here – literally –for centuries.  A lot of the history has been preserved, and there is more out there to be unearthed.  We regularly haunt estate auctions, thrift stores, anywhere something might turn up that has a secret.

THE PARADISE 2: BEHIND THE SCENES PHOTOS

Chronicle Live UK published a gallery of pictures from the set of the Paradise 2. 

SHE WOLVES, HENS AND NIGHT MOTHS: THE PROSTITUTES OF ANCIENT ROME - AUTHOR GUEST POST BY ELISABETH STORRS + GIVEAWAY

What’s in a name? In Rome, there were many different categories of prostitutes, all of whom were known by colourful titles which not onlyidentified their status but also where they plied their trade.

Wall fresco of Roman prostitutes and customers - Pompeii

Prostitution was heavily regulated with a division created between those who were accredited and worked in brothels, and those who were not officially recorded and operated on the streets or in taverns and bakeries.As part of the registration process with the city magistrate, a woman would provide her correct name and age, her place of birth and the pseudonym under which she wished to be known. She also stipulated the price she intended to charge for her services. Her name was then listed on a rollpermanently, her reputation irrevocably stained. Despite this, a licensed whore or “meretrix” (“one who earns wages”) was considered socially acceptable because she only worked during the night whereas a “prostibula” (unregistered whore) made herself available at any hour. By the time of Caligula, a tax was levied on enrolled prostitutes consisting of an amount equivalent to the sum received in one day from a single client. Failure to pay resulted in a black mark being placed against the woman’s name on the list and a whipping.However, at least a meretrix could rely on the protection of the magistrate who could be called upon to enforce payment from a client.

LOOKING FORWARD TO THE BITTERSWEET END OF DEXTER

(by guest blogger Chloe Trogden) All good things must come to an end. This year, the series finale of “Dexter” is upon us. At three episodes into the season, I am both urging on the episodes to learn how this amazing series will come to a conclusion and also dreading the passage of the episodes as each one signals a step closer to the end. Each episode is bittersweet, and each is more thrilling with the knowledge that it is providing another piece of the puzzle to what will become of Dexter and those he loves.

Will the police discover who Dexter really is? Will he be arrested? Will he be killed – by the police, by another serial killer, maybe even by Deb? Who is Dr. Vogel really, and what does she want?

I’m dreading that the series will end in the same way “The Sopranos” did – offering so much promise and instead quietly slipping out in ambiguity. If that happened, it would be a disservice to the series, which has blazed a trail in television and which deserves an ending as powerful as its story and characters have been over the last eight years.

Here are just a few of the reasons why – and so many other viewers – love the show:

HELEN MIRREN, THE BEST NEVER REST

(by guest blogger Spencer Blohm) Despite having her 68th birthday and the premiere of her new film RED 2 both happening within the last few weeks, fantastic Dame Helen Mirren is showing no signs of slowing down. At the film’s Los Angeles premiere, Helen arrived in a stunning green Elie Saab gown paired with tasteful jewels and platform, lucite stripper heels she picked up for $40 on Hollywood Boulevard. Helen calls the heels her “secret weapon” on the red carpet -for the lift they give her backside and tautness created in her stomach. This isn’t the first time Helen has pushed standard conventions of what it means to be an “older woman” in show business.

While most actresses her age are gravitating towards more “mature” roles, Helen is choosing to do quite the opposite. After already spending the majority of her career paying her dues on the theater circuit, it seems like Helen is finally ready to have some fun! She has gracefully transitioned from playing the Queen of England, to the madam of a brothel, to the dean of a university for monster, all within the past few years.

THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS CITY OF BONES: READ-A-LONG & GIVEAWAY

My journey to the Shadowhunters' world  has  been one of the most exciting experiences in my recent reading life, so I enthusiastically accepted to be part of this event: a read -a- long to share and discuss book one in the series, City of Bones, waiting for the release of movie 1.


Join us!
If you have read or plan to read City of Bones before the movie comes out on August 21, join us. If you like the idea, grab your copy,  get one as soon as possible and read with us. We will be sharing a chapter recap a day and more: characters analysis, musings, reactions to the movie making, merchenrise, interviews with the cast and  more.

There's also a chance  ( more than one, actually) of winning TMI related e-books! How?  Have a look at the rafflecopter form you'll find below this post and find out.

Here's the list of blogs and bloggers participating in the tour: