Robin Hood

I've got a thing for all things medieval. Which is obvious considering the MS I'm querying. I've always been a fan of the Robin Hood story- I've seen the Errol Flynn version, the Kevin Costner version, the Russell Crowe version, the cartoon version, and even the Men in Tights version (have I missed any?) So naturally, when I heard there was a TV show about Robin Hood, I decided to check it out.

I don't know much about this show. My local library has three seasons but I don't know if that's it, or if the show is still on TV, or what*. What I do know is after four episodes, I've fallen for it and I'm anxious for next episodes.

First though, a couple of pet peeves about the show:

1) It's a bit cheesy. Sometimes the dialogue, sometimes the action scenes- they induce mild eye-rolling at times.

2) Robin Hood is too scrawny. Maybe it's just me and the fact that I like my hero's with some meat and muscle on their bones. This Robin Hood needs to buff up just a tad.

3) Why won't Robin Hood kill the Sheriff already? Okay, it's a TV show, and so they've gotta keep the bad guy around, obviously. But every episode I can't help but think, if you'd just kill the guy, all your problems would be over.

Here's what I LOVE about the show:

1) Robin Hood. Yes, he's scrawny. But he's also charming and funny and rakish and roguish. I love how they didn't make him the brooding hero. We get the sense that he's got tough things from his past in the crusades, and he's serious about helping people, but that doesn't stop him from being the Robin Hood who cracks a smile, winks, or gives Marion a pick-up line. I LOVE that.

2) The Sheriff. He's not the evil-just-to-be-evil bad guy. He's the quirky bad guy who does weird things. He's an almost cheerful bad guy. But none of that takes away from the fact that he's a BAD guy.

3) Richard Armitage. Need I say more? He plays Guy of Gisbourne and, mullet aside, there's something about this guy that draws your eyes. When he's on screen he demands your attention. So far they've barely scratched the surface of him as a character but I hope they delve a lot deeper. Plus his voice is super-sexy. (Yep, I said it.)

4) Robin Hood's bestie- Mudge. Is that his name? I can't ever be sure. Anyway, this guy is so endearingly pathetic, sometimes funny, always loyal. He's another character I hope they give a little more backstory to as the episodes roll along.

5) The setting, costumes, weapons, etc. Everything medieval. They nailed it as well as putting their own spin on things too. This stuff alone makes me want to watch. And it's good for the brainstorming I'm doing for my R&R.

Are those enough reasons to check out this show? What about this?

*I just read on Wikipedia that they axed it after the 3rd season. Dang.

An Easy Pick

Today's Road Trip Wednesday hosted by YA Highway asks:

What was the best book you read in September?

This is painfully easy. Here, I'll show the covers of all the books I read in September and see if you can guess which one I'm going to pick.

 

Did you guess it?

Yep, Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein. It's almost unfair to the rest of the books- even though they were good, they didn't stand a chance against Code Name Verity.

Why you ask? Well, if you're asking, you obviously haven't read it.

The story is heartbreaking. The voice manages to be funny even through the major awfulness that's going on. You root for everyone, even the bad guy sometimes. It's the kind of book, the type of characters, that stick with you. And it gets major bonus points from me just because of the time period- World War II. If you haven't read it, you need to put it on your TBR right now.

What's the best book you read in September?

Shine

For today's Teaser Tuesday I'm pulling my teaser from the last in a trilogy again.

First, can I just say, I hate when I'm reading a later book in a series and don't remember what's going on? I used to have all this time to reread and never encountered this problem, but now I've got stacks on my TBR list and no time for rereading. *sobs*

Anyway, the nice thing about Shine by Jeri Smith-Ready is that she sprinkles in the major plot from the past two books without dumping it right in the beginning or avoiding it altogether. I loved Shade and Shift- this whole trilogy is a brand new concept and she's a page-turning kind of writer. I also love how music is a big part of the books. These trilogy is a definite must.

And now I'll stop blabbing and share my teaser:

Now, I would wage a one-girl vendetta against the DMP for what they were doing to him. For what they'd tried to do to Logan. For what they wanted to do to me.

I would destroy them. (page 80)

What are you reading this week?

Found Guilty

I have been found guilty of  insta-love.

The sentence has been passed, and I think it's time to defend myself.

See, the thing is, I didn't mean to write insta-love. I never planned it, I never intended it. Once it was done, it never seemed like insta-love to me. No, it was something else entirely.

An insta-crush.

My character is a teen girl. She saw a guy and thought, he's hot, I wish he'd ask me out, I just want to spend time with him, I really want to kiss those sexy-sweet lips.

I ask you, is this insta-love? To me, it's a crush. Those first overwhelming and often overexagerrated feelings a person can get when they see something they like about someone else. An insta-crush. Once they get it, they find ways to be with that person, to get to know them, and then... SOMETIMES the love happens. Sometimes it doesn't.

I know insta-love is one of those THINGS A WRITER SHOULD NEVER EVER DO. But what about insta-crushes? Do readers feel the same animosity towards them? If you read a girl saying, "he's so hot I want to date him!!!" do you automatically chalk it up to insta-love, roll your eyes, or maybe put the book down in disgust?

I'm genuinely wondering here. I don't have the same bad mojo towards insta-love as most people do. I think it's because I don't ever see it as love, I see it as a crush first which often grows into love.
But I also don't want anyone throwing my writing across the room because, bam! there's insta-love again.

What do you think? Is an insta-crush basically the same as insta-love?

*P.S. I've been found guilty, and am now on the road to rehabilitation. Meaning: I'm revising.*

Classical Makes Me Cry

I'm one of those writers who listens to music while I write. I have a "quiet" playlist, which really isn't always that quiet. I've got some swing music on it, some Broadway, movie scores, opera, and a lot of classical and piano solo music.

A lot of these songs inspired me while I was writing Sway, because my MC and her love interest are both musicians. While my hero is more of a Michael Buble- singing jazzy tunes- my female protag is a pianist. While revising, I've given her more of a life and background. She's a Juilliard grad and plays for a Philharmonic orchestra. I'm trying to incorporate more how music would make her feel, how it's part of her like breathing- hopefully without going overboard. So I've been listening to A LOT of classical music.

For Friday Loves today, here are some of the songs that I mention in the MS and that have inspired me through my drafts and revisions. If you ever need quiet and beautiful (and heart-wrenching and tear-inducing) background writing music, these are great pieces!

Serenade by Schubert- I LOVE this song sooooo much!

 

Air on the G String by Bach

 

Piano Concerto #2 by Rachmaninoff

 

Liebestraum by Liszt

The Princess and the... What?

Today's Road Trip Wednesday questions asks:

 

In honor of this month's Bookmobile book, Marissa Meyer's CINDER, name a fable or story you'd like to see a retelling of. If you're feeling creative, come up with a premise of your own!

First, I can't help but wonder, is there a fable or fairy tale that hasn't been retold? Not that I've read them all, in fact the number of fairtyale retellings I've read is pretty low. Which is weird. Because I love fairy tales.

Anyway, Cinder, Beastly, Entwined. All awesome books. Growing up, Beauty and the Beast was my favorite Disney Cartoon, but it's been done. I also loved Hercules as a teen, also done. One of my favorite TV shows now is Once Upon A Time which pretty much runs the fairy tale gamut.

After scouring my kids movie shelves, I've come up with one! This has been done as two different Barbie movies, but I don't know if it's been made into a book. It would be a fun one to write, modern day or old-school (both of which Barbie did). Here it is:

The Princess and the Pauper.

 

A story about a rich girl and poor girl who switch places? I can already picture all the calamity that could ensue, already getting ideas of different ways you could spin it... 

So I think I'm gonna go take some notes. Thanks YA Highway for another new idea! And if someone does know of a good book version of this, let me know so I can add it to my TBR.

Endlessly

For today's Teaser Tuesday hosted by Miz B. at Should Be Reading, I'm going to tease you with the last book of a Trilogy. But don't worry, I won't give anything away. I'm pulling my teaser from Endlessly by Kiersten White, the third book after Paranormalcy and Supernaturally. These are great books by the way- fun and easy reads.

I resisted the urge to sit and stare at Lend while he slept; when he dreamed, instead of his eyes moving behind his eyelids, his whole glamour shifted appearances like a stop-motion film. It was fascinating and wildly entertaining sometimes- also a bit freaky considering I showed up constantly. (page 13)

And completely unrelated to Teaser Tuesday... you should go check out today's post from YA Highway called Giving Yourself Permission. It's an awesome post and everyone should read it!

Happy Tuesday! But not for me because Tuesday is bathroom cleaning day. Ugh.