Pic of the Week . . . Thor: The Dark Work

I watched Thor: The Dark World in the cinema the other night and I loved it!  Yeah, just like the first one I felt they may have skimmed over a few things that would have been better explained, but I couldn't fault the over-all movie itself, plus the eye-candy that went with it in the form of Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston.  And give credit where credit is due, the graphics are spectacular.  I'm so glad we're living in an age where anything can be created for the big screen and look real - depending on budget, of course.  Sadly I only got to see it in 2D, but I can only imagine how great it would have seemed in 3D.

Asgard stunned me.  For any Fantasy or Sci-Fi writer out there, any creator of cities or worlds, Asgard sits on a visual level that we dream of.  If you create a city that's huge, spectacular and beautiful all at the same time, sometimes it can be hard to portray that in words.  You can see it, but can you write it and do it justice?  I only hope that should anyone choose to create my cities for the big screen (thinking widely here lol ) that they do it just as much justice as what they did for Asgard.

So for those who have yet to see it, do so, and do it before it disappears from the big screens.  Nothing compares to watching something on that scale (and a word of advice?  Stay until the very end of the credits, and I mean the VERY end) :)  And for Pic of the Week??  Well, I've given enough already, haven't I?  Or maybe I'll just post one more of the Bifrost...

Enjoy.

Pic of the Week . . . Seven Deadly Sins

I've been tagged (can I say 'tagged'?) By Mina Lobo over at Some Dark Romantic. Now, because of that I have to list my Seven Deadly Sins. Mina's post definitely raised a few chuckles and I have a lot to live up to, so here goes:

Gluttony: Just one more...It's always just one more with me. I don't watch much TV and don't keep up with all the good series that are out there. Instead, if I want to watch a series, I buy the DVD or watch it on Netflix. That way the button on the controller is always close enough to tempt me with just one more episode. I've lost whole evenings simply by watching just one more...

Greed: Hmmm...my Achilles's Heel. Books, CD's, DVDs (although this one has dwindled slightly since the introduction of Netflix in my house. Man, I love Netflix) and marvel memorabilia... Oh, and socks. Weird socks. Love 'em.

Wrath: I may think dark thoughts, may write dark things, but I rarely flare up at people. I'm usually pretty good at curbing my anger and then going off and seething in my own space. If I'm angry or upset, I go silent. Not too sure if this is a good thing or not...It certainly isn't when it comes to writing arguments.  How the hell do my characters respond to that??

Sloth: Ooh, sloth. Another Achilles's Heel. I usually struggle to get out of bed in the mornings and then can't wait to get back in it at night. I love my bed just as much as I love weird socks.

Pride: I'm proud.  I'm proud of being a creative.  I'm proud of my writing, of my drawing, and of being me. Should this be a sin?? Oh, and I'm a proud owner of a Persian Cat :)

Lust: Meh! I'll let Lust and Sloth battle that one out :) (What goes on the bedroom remains there...)

Envy: I confess. When one of my writer friends email round pieces of their work for us to read and critique, sometimes I find myself thinking that this is soooo good and why can't I write something like that. And when you're envious over someone else's work, it doesn't actually do your own confidence any good. That's a battle that insecure writers face every day.

I think I'm supposed to list seven unlucky bloggers who then have to list their seven deadly sins, but you know what?  Sloth comes into play here.  So if you fancy joining in then TAG - you're it!!

So there you go. My Seven Deadly Sins. And to coincide with these, I'm going to remind you all of an artist I've visited once or twice before.  Marta Dahlig over at Deviant Art.  This piece depicts Wrath, but if you want to see the rest of her collection check out her Sins Gallery and then move on to the rest.  You seriously won't be disappointed.

The World Is An Awesome Place For Inspiration. . .

My lunch breaks at work mostly comprise of eating while flicking through Google news to find out what's going on around the world, followed by a quick browse through the Entertainment section, followed by a study of the Science section.  I admit that most sciencey stuff goes over my head, but there are still some amazing things going on out there, especially when they post articles about the Mars Rover and it's discoveries.  I follow as Nasa track comets, shooting stars, when satellites come crashing back down (I've often contemplated walking around with an umbrella in case something wants to hit me on the head... lol).  At the moment I'm following news on the sun's poles shifting and wondering what impact it will have on us.  Apparently it's an 11 year cycle and results in some amazing Northern Lights - which I would absolutely love to see.

The Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) are a classic example of how this world alone - forgetting all the amazing things that are being discovered among the skies - is over-flowing with inspiration.  I've used the Aurora Borealis in my pieces before.  It's a spectacular phenomena that isn't used enough.

Or how an Albatross can travel 10,000 miles without landing or using any energy reserves.  It lives on its 3.5m wingspan...

Another thing that's captured my attention today is the eruption of Mount Etna.  Did you know volcanoes can blow smoke rings...???  National Geographic published some spectacular photos of Mount Etna.  It reminded me of world building and the landscapes you can include.  Imagine something like this becoming a daily occurrence.  Imagine the backdrop you'd give your story?  I love it all :)  So if you're looking for inspiration on world building and what to include, just read the Science Section on Google News...

       

Pic of the Week . . . Jon Sullivan

I come across this piece completely by chance and fell in love it.  Then when I checked the artist and his website, I was blown away!

Introducing Jon Sullivan.

If you like this piece, check out the rest of his gallery on his website.  Fans of Fantasy and Sci-Fi won't be disappointed.

Have a great weekend :)

Balloon In Memory Of Andrew

As many of you in the Blogosphere have already heard, Nick Wilford's brave step-son, Andrew McNaughton, passed away at the weekend.

A little while back, the heart of the Blogosphere revealed itself by helping Nick create an Anthology in aid of raising enough money for Andrew's education.  Andrew suffered with Celebral Palsy.  The huge success of the Anthology proved how great this community really is and made me feel proud to be a part of it.

And it continues.

This virtual red balloon is now floating around the blogosphere in honour of the life and legacy of this amazing young man, and I'm giving it a little blow to help spread it just that little bit further. Thanks to Mark Koopman for spreading the word.  

In Remembrance

In Remembrance

Never Forgotten

Resurrection Blogfest II: Over-coming Adversity

I'm taking part in the 'Resurrection blogfest II' today. Many thanks to Mino Lobo for hosting.

The premise is to re-post a past blog between the date ranges of November 8th 2012 to November 6th 2013.  Sounds easy right?  I thought that but I was wrong.  Because of my lack of blogging this year I had a hard time trying to find one within this time frame that was suitable.  Then I came across this one posted on the 4th March 2013.

Okay, it may not be exactly helpful in many ways, and it may not be an interesting read, but it is a post I thought worthy of a re-post. One blogger held a blogfest where you wrote a short piece about over-coming adversity.  He then collated all these pieces and created a superb anthology that is available on Amazon. And that's not all.  All the money made from this book goes to helping a special someone in his life who suffers with Cerebral Palsy.  It's such a worthy cause, and so many others out there thought so too, so I thought it would nice to continue with spreading the love (and it has absolutely nothing to do with the fact I designed the front cover...)

Original post can be found here:

And if you want to read some of the other posts in this fantastic Resurrection Blogfest II, simply hop over to Mina Lobo at Some Dark Romantic and take your pick.  I'm sure you won't be disappointed :)

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It's here! It's here!!!

The 4th and 5th of February of this year (2013) saw a bloghop hosted by Nick Wilford.  This hop? The 'Overcoming Adversity' bloghop.

Bloggers from all over the blogasphere found themselves writing short pieces and taking part, pieces to move and uplift you.  These wonderful pieces were then collected and have now been published together in one amazing anthology to help raise money for one specific good cause.  Read on to find out more:

Blurb

A collection of seventy moving and uplifting original pieces - real life, flash fiction, and poetry - about battling against the odds and the ultimate triumph of the human spirit. The contributors include Amazon bestselling authors Alex J. Cavanaugh and Kyra Lennon, and the cream of upcoming talent.

The anthology is part of a fundraising effort to send the editor's stepson, Andrew McNaughton, to a specialist college in England. Andrew has cerebral palsy, and is a remarkable young man with a promising future. However, the free further education options offered in his own country of Scotland will not challenge him and allow him to progress. In order to access the education he deserves, Andrew will have to pay exorbitant fees, thus creating a situation of discrimination.

Help us get Andrew to college by buying a book that runs the full gamut of human emotions, ultimately leaving you inspired and glad to be alive. Whatever struggles you are going through, our sincere hope is that this book will help.

Purchase Links:

Amazon UK:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Overcoming-Adversity-Anthology-Andrew-ebook/dp/B00BM62EZA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1362210101&sr=8-1

Amazon US:

http://www.amazon.com/Overcoming-Adversity-Anthology-Andrew-ebook/dp/B00BM62EZA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1362210134&sr=8-1&keywords=nick+wilford

Smashwords:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/290822

Goodreads:

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17452314-overcoming-adversity

Editor Bio:

Nick Wilford is a writer and stay-at-home dad. Once a journalist, he now makes use of those rare times when the house is quiet to explore the realms of fiction. When not writing he can usually be found spending time with his family or cleaning something. He has four short stories published in Writer’s Muse magazine. Nick is also co-running a campaign to get a dedicated specialist college built in Scotland. Visit him at http://nickwilford.blogspot.co.uk/.

*As a side note, I'd just like to thank Nick for the wonderful opportunity given me to work on the cover for 'Overcoming Adversity', following the wonderful and interesting concepts of Ella over at Ella's Edge.

Resurrection Blogfest II

Hi all

I'm participating in the Resurrection Blogfest II which is happening on Thursday 7th November (this Thursday people)...So I thought I'd write a quick post to help promote it.  There's still time to sign up and join in the fun - and there be prizes too :)

So click over to Mina Lobo at Some Dark Romantic (<< either via this link or the button on the side >>) and check out the details :) If anything, sign up in appreciation of what she went through to get the image of the gravestones for her button (and what a great button it is too...)

You can read about that here...

Pic of the Week . . . Halloween

Happy Halloween everyone.  Hope you all had a scary time, mwah ha ha haaa...

Pic: 'The Evil Within' but Jcdow3 on Deviant Art.  Go check out their gallery.  There's some awesome stuff going on over there :)