More Bronze Horseman movie news

Apologies to all for my prolonged absence. Life has been exceedingly busy, but I did manage to catch this on Paullina Simon’s website this week. So very exciting! I think Alex would be a great Shura, but who would play his Tatiana?

My devoted readers and friends,

I’m thrilled to tell you that our mutual dream of seeing The Bronze Horseman on the big screen is one step closer to reality.

ITA Productions, a British company, has optioned the rights to my book. The producer, Martyn Hall, and the director, Sash Andranikian, love Tatiana and Alexander, and want nothing more than to make it into an emotional visual spectacle of a film. Sash, from a long line of animators and movie-makers, is Russian-American like me. He has read all three TBH books, and tells me that he loves them all. Martyn says The Bronze Horseman is the only book that has made him cry. They are looking to go into pre-production by the end of 2013, and to begin shooting early in 2014. So perhaps by the end of 2014, with a healthy dose of luck, we might have our movie.

We are going to be working from a script I wrote, which is fantastic, though it does mean that I have to rewrite it, which inevitably means I have to cut it. As you all know from my books, brevity is hardly my strong suit. My editing process always results in my books becoming twenty percent longer, not thirty percent shorter, which is what Martyn would like.

The good news is, the producers are promising that I will be on set to revise and add scenes as needed during filming, so at least we are going to have participation and some small measure of control in the creation of this magical thing called The Bronze Horseman, a movie.

I welcome your comments, questions, concerns, and of course, casting suggestions.

No, the film will not be in Russian. (Like the book wasn’t!)

What do you think of Alex Pettyfer as Alexander?

My very best,

Paullina.

 

Wicked Deeds on a Winter’s Night, by Kresley Cole

Format: Paperback, 359 pages

Published: First published October 30, 2007

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Back cover blurb: Her breathless kiss haunts him… Bowen MacRieve of the Lykae clan was nearly destroyed when he lost the one woman meant for him. The ruthless warrior grew even colder, never taking another to his bed — until a smoldering encounter with his enemy, Mariketa the Awaited, reawakens his darkest desires. When sinister forces unite against her, the Highlander finds himself using all his strength and skill to keep her alive.

His slow, hot touch is irresistible…

Temporarily stripped of her powers, Mari is forced to take refuge with her sworn adversary. It’s rumored that no one can tempt Bowen’s hardened heart, but soon passion burns between them. Though a future together is impossible, she fears he has no intention of letting her go.

No deed is too wicked for her seduction…

If they defeat the evil that surrounds them, can Mari deny Bowen when he demands her body and soul — or will she risk everything for her fierce protector?

My review: Oh, Bowen! What a scrumptious beast you are! You may be my new favourite IAD man… it’s a tough choice between you and Bastian. This story had me frustrated and then hot, and frustrated some more, and then surprised – the whole gamut of emotions, which is great in a book. I couldn’t put it down, and that ending was quite a finale. Mariketa was another kickass heroine I loved, and I also enjoyed the introduction of the new demon characters who I see will get their own stories later in the series.

I’ve said before I love the new covers, but here is my only gripe: the dude on this one doesn’t look anything like a Lykae. In fact, the guy on the previous book did, so maybe they got them mixed up and this is meant to be Bastian? He looks more vamp than were to me. Not a big problem, though. This is still a winner.

My rating: 5/5

18 & Over Book Blogger Follow #18: Is it 2013 yet?

18 & Over Book Blogger Follow is a weekly feature that runs over the weekend, hosted by Crystal from one of my favourite blog sites, Reading Between the Wines.

Question of the Week:  What are the Top 5 Books that you are looking forward to in 2013?

Apologies, folks! I haven’t been around for a while, and I haven’t done one of these follows for ages, but this looked like a good one to join in on.

Obviously, my first must-buy for 2013 will be Lover At Last by J.R. Ward. I know a lot of people are really looking forward to March when it comes out.

I can’t wait for Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi, because Shatter Me was one of my fave books this year. Can’t wait to see what happens next.

Julie James is another auto-buy, so Love, Irresistibly is expected to be really good.

I don’t have the cover for it yet, but Burned by Karen Marie Moning should be good. I haven’t read Iced yet – it isn’t available here, much to my annoyance – but this series is pure win and you can’t have enough Barrons or Ryodan.

And my number five, again with no cover yet, is Painting by Numbers by Jasper Fforde. The first book in this series, Shades of Grey, was amazing!

What about you? What are you looking forward to in 2013? Leave a comment below or link up HERE to follow the meme.

A Political Affair, by Mary Whitney

 

Format: ebook, 284 pages

Published: October 18, 2012

Publisher: The Writer’s Coffee House Publishing House

Back cover blurb: Stephen McEvoy never expected to fill his father’s U.S. Senate seat at such a young age—or to fight to keep it. When clever Anne Norwood interns in his office, Stephen dismisses her as another pretty face—until her independent streak catches his attention. They’re both too smart to fall for one another, yet they do. During a tough election, their relationship is an impossible political gamble. Campaigns—like love—are either won or lost.

My review: I have a soft spot for political love stories, so I was really excited to read this. Yes, it’s the old story of a politician falling for his intern, but the way Mary Whitney has told the tale means it comes across as far from cliched.

Stephen McEvoy, heir to his family’s political dynasty, has been a player in the past, but when Anne Norwood becomes an intern in his office he fights his attraction to her, not in the least because her family comes from the opposite side of the political spectrum to him. Once they can no longer deny their feelings, their relationship must be “managed”, and that’s where the excellent secondary characters come in. I loved Stephen and Anne, but his family and old friends were lots of fun, and the rival politicians were suitably villainous. The behaviour of Helen, in particular, made me wonder what really goes on up on Capitol Hill!

This is a great read, which I would highly recommend. I must also say it is a beautiful cover. I’m looking forward to more from Ms. Whitney

My rating: 5/5

The Lincoln Lawyer, by Michael Connelly

 

Format: Paperback, 404 pages

Published: 2005

Publisher: Orion

Back cover blurb: Criminal defense attorney Mickey Haller’s father was a legendary lawyer whose clients included gangster Mickey Cohen. But Dad also passed on an important piece of advice that’s especially relevant when Mickey takes the case of a wealthy Los Angeles realtor accused of attempted murder: “The scariest client a lawyer will ever have is an innocent client. Because if you [screw] up and he goes to prison, it’ll scar you for life.”

Louis Roulet, Mickey’s “franchise client” (so-called becaue he’s able and willing to pay whatever his defense costs) seems to be the one his father warned him against, as well as being a few rungs higher on the socio-economic ladder than the drug dealers, homeboys, and motorcycle thugs who comprise Mickey’s regular case load. But as the holes in Roulet’s story tear Mickey’s theory of the case to shreds, his thoughts turn more to Jesus Menendez, a former client convicted of a similar crime who’s now languishing in San Quentin. Connelly tellingly delineates the code of legal ethics Mickey lives by: “It didn’t matter…whether the defendant ‘did it’ or not. What mattered was the evidence against him–the proof–and if and how it could be neutralized. My job was to bury the proof, to color the proof a shade of gray. Gray was the color of reasonable doubt.” But by the time his client goes to trial, Mickey’s feeling a few very reasonable doubts of his own.

My review: My sister gave me this ages ago but I have no idea why I haven’t read it before now. It gets off to a slow start, but has plenty of twists and turns, and I was pleasantly surprised several times at the author’s ingenuity. The crooks are decidedly unpleasant and Mick walks a fine line between being dodgy and noble, but in the end you can’t help cheering for him. I loved the ex-wives, too, and was glad to see he had a nice relationship with his daughter. I can see why it was made into a movie, but it went straight to video here so I haven’t seen it. Might have to check out some more of Connelly’s work now.

My rating: 4/5

Karen Marie Moning shares the first 27 pages of Iced!

Karen Marie Moning just likes to tease us! She has released the first 27 pages of Iced for us, ahead of the October 30 release date, and I’m so excited for this book! W00t!

View this document on Scribd

 

MORE, by T.M. Franklin

Format: e-book

Published: October 4, 2012

Publisher: The Writer’s Coffee Shop Publishing House

Back cover blurb:

Ava Michaels used to think she was special.

As a child, she fantasized about having magical powers . . . making things happen. But Ava grew up and eventually accepted the fact that her childish dreams were just that, and maybe a normal life wasn’t so bad after all.

Now a young college student, Ava meets Caleb Foster, a brilliant and mysterious man who’s supposed to help her pass Physics, but in reality has another mission in mind. What he shows Ava challenges her view of the world, shaking it to its very core.

Because Caleb isn’t quite what he seems. In fact, he’s not entirely human, and he’s not the only one.

Together, the duo faces a threat from an ancient race bound to protect humans, but only after protecting their own secrets—secrets they fear Ava may expose. Fighting to survive, Ava soon learns she’s not actually normal . . . she’s not even just special.

She’s a little bit more.

My review:

This book is FANTASTIC!!!!! The characters are amazing, the story is thrilling and twists in all the right places, and the budding romance is just perfect! It isn’t often I love a female character from start to finish, but I did with Ava. The bit where she lies in bed wondering what he’s doing… I die! Seriously, I cannot wait to read the rest of this series. A stunning debut novel, and I love the cover!

My rating: 5/5

Cover reveal: One Sweet Ride, by Jaci Burton

I think this young man deserves to go LARGE!

Jaci Burton yesterday revealed the cover of her latest book in the Play by Play series, One Sweet Ride. I wasn’t a fan of the first book, but, oh my Lord, they have verra nice covers!

The reveal on Twitter sparked this little exchange, which I’m sure we all agree with

So what do you think? Worth buying for the cover alone? I think maybe yes

Here’s the blurb from GoodReads: Race car driver Gray Preston enjoys fast cars and an uncomplicated life, until political aide Evelyn Hill enters the picture and complicates the hell out of it with a request that he help out his estranged father’s political campaign. Racing and politics don’t mix, but Gray and Evelyn’s sexual attraction sizzles like asphalt in August.

One Sweet Ride (Play by Play #6) will be out in June 2013.

Eternal Kiss of Darkness, by Jeaniene Frost

Format: Mass Market Paperback, 361 pages

Published: July 27, 2010

Publisher: Avon Books

Back cover blurb:

An immortal war has been brewing in the darkness . . . And now one woman has stumbled into the shadows. Chicago private investigator Kira Graceling should have just kept on walking. But her sense of duty refused to let her ignore the moans of pain coming from inside a warehouse just before dawn. Suddenly she finds herself in a world she’s only imagined in her worst nightmares.

At the center is Mencheres, a breathtaking Master vampire who thought he’d seen it all. Then Kira appears, this fearless, beautiful . . . human who braved death to rescue him. Though he burns for her, keeping Kira in his world means risking her life. Yet sending her away is unthinkable.

But with danger closing in, Mencheres must choose either the woman he craves, or embracing the darkest magic to defeat an enemy bent on his eternal destruction.

My review:

This was sitting by my bed for about a year and I was reluctant to start it for two reasons: I wasn’t sure I was all that interested in Mencheres, and the cover is so awful I felt embarrassed to pick it up. However, I can now admit my doubts were unwarranted. Mencheres is lovely, and once started, I couldn’t put his story down.

Kira was a great heroine – I don’t usually like the heroines in PNRs – and it was fabulous to see how strong she was all the way through, with no contrived angsty subplots. Finding out about Mencheres makes me want to reread Cat and Bones so I can fill in the blanks about him. This also has the bonus of Vlad, and I’ll be moving on to his story soon. I loved it, but I’m still taking a cupcake off for the cringeworthy cover – ugh.

My rating: 4/5

18 & Over Book Blogger Follow #17: Say You’re a Beta…

18 & Over Book Blogger Follow is a weekly feature that runs over the weekend, hosted by Crystal from one of my favourite blog sites, Reading Between the Wines.

Question of the Week:  If you could beta read for any author who would it be and why?

Well, I guess I already do beta for a number of authors, since I’m an editor at a small publishing house.

I really liked Crystal’s choices of J.R. Ward and Olivia Cunning but the one “big” author I would like to offer my services to would have to be Jaci Burton. I was hugely disappointed in the number of errors and inconsistencies in The Perfect Play, and it made me not want to read the rest of the series, even though a lot of people rave about them.

Being Jaci’s beta might also mean I’d get the chance to meet those cover models… it’d be a sacrifice but someone’s gotta do it!

What about you? Who would you like to beta for? Leave a comment below or link up HERE to follow the meme.