Rouge by Leigh Talbert Moore

When Leigh first told me about her book, I was… not disappointed, but I certainly didn’t expect it – a Cabaret Theater novel set in the 1890s. I thought, Okay. I’ll read it. Someday soon. Then I kept seeing updates for it. The cover. The synopsis. Her excitement for the release. At the time, I was only about 15,000 words behind my NaNo goal – having a two year old will do that – and I had already blasted to bits my personal promise of no TV and books. This book was really starting to intrigue me, and I was feeling particularly antsy that night, so I purchased it and started it right away. And spent the next two days swept away (still ticking away at that NaNo goal, so I couldn’t completely immerse myself). 

If I didn’t expect the summary, the novel pushed my expectations over the edge. It pierced my heart with a fishhook and tugged and tugged and tugged until my ribs cracked under the pressure. So here I am, with my displaced heart, and a knot in my stomach, swelling by the page, and then – She did what? He did what? They did WHAT?

Goodreads Summary

Trapped in the underground theater world of 1890s New Orleans, Hale Ferrer has only one goal: escape. But not without Teeny, the orphan-girl she rescued from the streets and promised to protect.

Freddie Lovel, Hale's wealthy Parisian suitor, seems to be the easy solution. If only his touch could arouse her interest like Beau's, the penniless stagehand who captures her heart.

Denying her fears, Hale is poised to choose love until an evil lurking in their cabaret-home launches a chain of events that could cost her everything.

                                         

I loved Hale. She was loving and generous and only slightly hardened by her upbringing. Other souls would’ve been more so, but she was a soft-tough cookie. And her motherly love for Teeny, while she was only seventeen herself, was so real. I felt it. Her emotions were so strong and THERE that I experienced them with her.

Beau… What can I say about Beau? He was beautiful, soft, manly, wonderful. Heroic, protective, and strangely impulsive yet patient. Some of his actions shocked me, but they humanized him, and he redeems himself.

Leigh really had a way with her secondary characters, as well. I wanted to be courted by Freddie, mother Teeny, and accept the shadow of Roland’s protective wing. Teeny – I wanted more of her. She was the typical semi-selfish twelve year old, but bright and good to the core. She broke my heart. Roland was a great friend to Hale, and – as a fellow pianist who’s never smoked a cigarette – I loved his ultra-confidence, and could picture perfectly him going at the piano with those big man hands, a burned down cigarette glowing from the corner of his mouth. Even Evie cracked my heart a little.

And the evil that lurked beneath the surface threw me. Leigh makes some bold choices in her story, but I can kind of see Hale pulling the strings and telling her, It has to be this way. I can relate to that – the character making a choice you wouldn’t even consider.

Overall, this was a wonderful novel. Set in the 1890s with the pace of a contemporary story, meaning there weren’t gobs of paragraphs of historical background/setting descriptions. I felt this fast paced life in my bones as I read it, could smell the cigarette smoke and all of Freddie's beautiful red roses. I could feel the rosin crackling beneath my feet. Leigh painted a world with just enough words to bring the scenes to life, perfectly showing how this time in New Orleans was vivid, wild, changing, and unpredictable, while hurrying us along with the characters. Be warned, this is the first of a series, and will leave you wanting oh so much more.

I am looking forward to the oh so much more…

What the fudge?!

Sorry, Melanie, I stole your picture. It IS hilarious!

Yes. I went to see the new Twilight movie last night. I am not ashamed. In fact, I'm not ashamed to admit that I LOVE all the books and have read them several times. Melanie from Daydream to Writer was just saying yesterday that it's sad that, as Twilight lovers, we for some reason feel embarrassed now to admit we love the books/movies. I agree. It is sad. Partly because the biggest reason people hate on them is they're so popular and it's become "cool", like going all black-lipped Goth or walking with a limp-swag just because you have to sag those jeans halfway down your rear. I'm not campaigning for everyone to love them. I just think it's silly to feel shunned or not taken seriously for loving them.

At the start of one of my college classes one quarter, we were introducing ourselves and giving the class a Fun Fact. This girl introduced herself and her Fun Fact was that she loved 'such and such' books and couldn't stand Twilight. I brushed it off, even though she said it with such naive attitude. But she kept referring to it during random class activities. So I asked her once, "Why don't you like Twilight?" She looked at me blankly, and I asked, "Have you ever read them?" Her stunned face turned a little red. "Um, no."

SERIOUSLY?

"BUT," she huffed on. "I've had many friends read them and say they're terrible."
  
Mmmhmm. Everything she said from that day forward, I never took her seriously. 

So. The movie. Now my undying love for the books has no bearing on the cheesy productions that are the films. This is my opinion, maybe some of you will share it, maybe not. The first movie was a complete travesty. The others have gotten better, but they still have the quality of a TV movie. Oh well. I've long since accepted it, and I still go to the openings every year, because I love partaking in it, and even with the lack of quality, I've loved seeing these beloved characters in the flesh, with all the smoke and mirrors of incredible CGI. (First movie, not so incredible.)

And for Breaking Dawn, I was going into it a little antsier and more hyper than normal, because they'd been blasting all over TV there was going to be a TWIST. What was this twist going to be? Well, first, I can say the movie went as expected to start. Glorious cheese, but fun to watch. Then the TWIST.

WHAT. THE. FUDGE! And my sister and I almost walked out of the theater ten different times. I was MAD, and screaming in my head "THEY HAVE MURDERED HER BOOK!" But we did not leave. We stuck it out. And it was worth it. I can't spoil it, but... No. Can't spoil it. I will say, though, I cried in those last sixty seconds. In a good way. This series of movies I was forced to keep such low expectations for actually had one of the most beautiful last minutes of a movie I've ever seen. It was perfect. The music was perfect. The characters - for that one minute, lol - were perfect. And all was right with the world.

If you're going to watch it, prepare yourself. DON'T LEAVE! Be patient and you will be rewarded. And I'm sure anyone who's interested has already seen the trailer, but here it is. Now, in the words of my brilliant sister (I almost snorted Root Beer when she said this to me last night) - Let's go sparkle together.

The matterings of life

Today is my birthday.

I am 32.
Wait. (Papers rustling.)
Oh, right. (chuckles.)
I read the Birth Certificate wrong.
Ahem... I'm 25.

Anyway, it's my birthday, and I don't know what you do for your birthday, but every year is different for me. For the past few years, I've enjoyed my once-a-year club crawl while only feeling a smidge older than the usual 18-21 crowd, shaking what my momma gave me, and drinking till I puked just to prove I could. And, yes, I always regretted it in the morning. This year, not so much. And not because I feel older. I'm not sure "older" will ever enter my feelings file. I think I'll always feel like a twenty-three year old with the delightfully obnoxious immaturity of a tween.

This year, I'm doing the quiet thing. Where the friends gather, we hover in a tight circle around the cake, my eyes tear as I breathe in their love for me, and just before the candle inferno becomes a billowing tuft of smoke, I make the wish.

This wish is usually selfish, a me wish. And even though - you may have noticed - I tend toward the emotional, I can still be pretty selfish. I've long ago given up trying to change myself, and I'm okay with it. If you're a writer, too, then you understand what a lonely process it can be. Stuffing yourself away for hours, sometimes days at a time, neglecting what really matters in our lives - the people. And, I guess, even if no other life lessons have bit me in the butt, I'm starting to realize just how BIG this one is.

I've always been a family girl. Growing up in a gargantuan family is no easy feat. It's noisy, messy, unorganized, but crazy fun and, hopefully, so full of love you don't know what to do with it all. I've known this forever, but it doesn't mean that I appreciate it all the time. But, for some stupid life-questioning reason, the "older" I get, the more I begin to think that though my life is full of all these crazy wonderful possibilities, opportunities, goals, and dreams, it's all truly about the people. I can think deep thoughts for the rest of my life, wonder endlessly about my purpose, write ten thousand books, read ten times as many, but if  I don't have the people, all of those pretty thoughts, goals, and dreams become null and void.

So, tonight I'll enjoy my rump-shaking hiatus, make my me wish, but most importantly, soak up the blinks of time I get to spend with ones I love. And in honor of my Rockin' Awesome B-Day, and since I've been reading the ever-deep and profound Mr. Nepo, I'm including another quote from Awakening:

Singing from the peak isn't quite the same as whispering in the center of a circle that has carried you ashore. Honest friends are doorways to our souls, and loving friends are the grasses that soften the world. It is no mistake that the German root of the word friendship means "place of high safety"... There can be no greater or simpler ambition than to be a friend.

 

What inspires you?

Since this blog is relatively new, I am biting my lips and hem-hawing on what I really want to do with it. I follow a lot of book blogs, but I am a writer, so while I love reviewing books, and my beloved indie movies, my main focus is going to be on writing, dreams, inspiration, etc...

I know we all get our inspiration from anywhere and everywhere. I do. I've heard a lot of people get inspired in the shower. I totally do that. I think it's because we actually have a moment where we're forced to be stationary, and our brains begin to wander.

The novel I'm working on for NaNo is the antithesis of my last book. Where my last story was mostly action and took place over the course of two days, this next project is a love story brought about by tragedy and spans the course of over a year. It's a much softer, quieter story, and requires me to be in a different state of mind.

To get me into this state of mind, every time I sit down to write, I read an excerpt from Mark Nepo's The Book of Awakening.

This book is one of the most beautiful things I have ever read. It's not a novel. It's a collection of insightful passages on just about everything. I truly can't even fathom how this man came up with this many. Each and every passage is deep and wonderful. Most of them bring me to tears. They manage to pluck those heartstrings way in the back that no one else can reach.

I found this book when my husband and I were on vacation, perusing the nearest Barnes and Noble. I picked it up, started reading, and the room faded away. I was alone, and his words spun around me, clutching, prodding, piercing. When I came back to myself, I looked at my husband, wide-eyed, and said, "I'm getting this."

Excerpt: 

Before we blink, we know each other.

We speak before we speak, with eyes and lips, in how we tip our heads, in how we lean like trees tired of waiting for the sun... We pretend we are strangers and deny what we learn before words.

We are all made up of yearning and light... This is enough to begin... That we want to be held and left alone, again and again; held and left alone until the dance of it is how we survive and grow, like spring into winter into spring again.

At the end of each passage is a small list of things to think on or mental exercises to get us to that peaceful place. I find I don't usually need the list. The words are enough to get me there.

Do you have a book or passage that helps put you where you need to be before you write? 
Share with me! 

Movie Monday - Dakota Skye

I’m back today with my Indie Movie spot, and am happy to report that – so far – Mr. Netflix and I have been getting along. (Read about our reunion here.) It’s been mostly peaches and roses… do those go together? Either way, I see a bright future for us. Let’s hope. I tend toward the optimistic.

Today, I’m introducing you all to Dakota Skye.

Summary (from IMDB)

For as long as she could remember, Dakota Skye has been cursed with a super power. She has the ability to see the truth in any lie she hears. From small, harmless white lies, to the more devious kind, they have come from the people that she should trust the most; her family, friends and teachers. These lies have snowballed, leading to her becoming bitter and apathetic towards the world around her. Now seventeen, Dakota just watches the world happen around her, unmotivated to join it. She has a boyfriend who plays in a semi-popular local rock band and her best friend from childhood, but finds little joy in her own life. One day, Jonah comes into town. It only takes a few days before Dakota notices something about him that sets him apart from the other people in her life. He doesn't lie.

Through her friendship with Jonah, her eyes are opened to the world around her and she sees that there is something out there more than all the lies. There is a possibility of something different... something better. If only he wasn't her boyfriend's best friend. Now she must make a choice. Can she go back to the apathy that has dictated her life, ignoring something potentially amazing? Can she take the leap into the unknown with Jonah, ignoring all the repercussions that may come from that decision? Is he really the person that she thinks he is and wants him to be? The only thing that becomes clear is that Dakota can no longer be a spectator in her own life. She has to look at her life as it was, is and could be and make a choice for the first time.

 ______________________

I had no expectations going into this film. The opening didn’t promise big things. The main character was a pretty good actress, and the narrative of her “talent” was funny enough. Her friends were atrocious actors, but I could overlook them. The boyfriend, however, with his dirty mullet, goofy rocker-wannabe attitude, and narcissistic view of himself was bwaha funny.

Examples of Dakota’s narrative went like this:

Dakota and her boyfriend are bowling and Dakota says, “I suck.” Boyfriend says, “Nah, babe, you’re not that bad.” To which the caption underneath him (the non-lie) says, “Yeah, you suck.”

True to the Indie style, the scenes were a bit lacking with emotion sometimes, and the transitions felt like they’d been pasted together by a Kindergartner… Until Jonah.

I fell in love with Jonah.

Which is saying a lot. Because his first impression didn’t leave me impressed. I don’t like to think of myself as a shallow girl, I fall in love with personalities not looks. But when it comes to Movie Stars, I like to be impressed. If I’m not, I shallowly admit, I won’t stay engaged. And when he made his grand entrance, twenty minutes into the movie, I didn’t even know he was going to be the male heroine. I felt nothing.

Then he makes THE DECLARATION. The I-can’t-get-you-outa-my-head speech. The I-know-you're-with-him and even-though-he’s-my-best-friend, dump-him-and-come-be-with-me speech. And, darn it all, I’m a sucker for that crap. So I was all Oh, Jonah after that.

He and Dakota have several scenes of alone time where he shares his deepest thoughts and life questions with her. What surprises Dakota is – dun dun dun DUN – he’s not lying to her.

*Gasp* What? SOULMATE!

If only it were that simple.

Why? Because Dakota has a boyfriend, duh. So, because Dakota has this loser boyfriend, she and Jonah can’t be together, really? I guess, but come on. With this useless barrier in their way, they of course have to hide their budding relationship, and decide to give themselves one day. One day of passion, of pretending that no one has a boyfriend, that no one has to leave (Jonah’s from New York, and, forgetful me, I can’t remember where Dakota’s from, but let’s just say it was way far away). I have to say, though, that one day of passion was bee-you-tee-full. It got my heart pumpin’. And it was mostly innocent. They didn’t even cross that line.

Oh, Jonah… sigh.

Overall, this movie was too stinkin’ cute for words. The characters surprised me with their depth as much as the no-namer actors surprised me with their skill. Dakota was funny, sincere, and it was interesting and somewhat heartbreaking to watch how she dealt with her “talent”. I would absolutely hate to know every time I was being lied to. I would definitely become even more jaded than Dakota was. It would wear on me as it did her, and she portrays that well. We even get to see her grow up a little, despite the unrealistic (or maybe too realistic) complete lack of a mother in the film. This movie left me feeling warm and fuzzy, just as I hadn’t dared hope when I started it.

And it ends exactly as it should, but shh, I’m not telling. Go watch for yourself :)

Lengths

A day late, but here as promised!

Okay. Let me be a girl for just a second… Oh man, oh man, ohmanohmanohman.
Alright. Got that out of my system.

First, I need to give a shout out to Steph Campbell and Liz Reinhardt. I’ve read other books of theirs, and LOVED them. So please check them out. They are bow-worthy writers in this amazingly rich Indie industry. Second, I must thank them for this Absolute Piece of Genius, I believe this book to be.

Alright, enough groveling.

Amazon Summary

Nineteen-year-old Whit Conrad leaves her conservative Pennsylvania home for sunny California, looking for independence, a fresh start, and a place to stash her grief. She promptly finds a job at a tattoo parlor, a craptastic first apartment, and one friend—Ryan—who is a little less friend, a little more benefits.

Deo Beckett is a soulful surfer with a passion for tattoos and beautiful women. On the eve of his twenty-second birthday, he finds himself living with his grandfather, recently unemployed, and seriously adrift. He doesn’t know much about what he wants out of life, but he does know his current situation isn't cutting it.

When Deo meets Whit, she’s all sexy makeup and fierce, smart-ass fun. It doesn’t take him long to see past her tough shell. And when he gets a good look at what's under all the superficial stuff that usually gets his attention, it leaves Deo wondering if there might be more to life than living fast and free.

Too bad Whit has a past she doesn't plan on sharing—no matter how hot Deo is. She might want him, but she knows better than to let her guard down.

Deo falls for Whit, and falls hard. But everything about her, down to that mysterious tattoo and the way she thrashes in her sleep, tells him that the girl he loves is hiding something. And the more he pushes for answers, the more Whit pulls away.

Having your guard up is one thing, but are the lengths Whit goes to to protect her secret worth throwing away the second chance she has at happiness with Deo?

Hummuna hummuna… Hummuna.

From the get-go, Lengths had me, but it wasn’t like a kick-in-the-stomach or a vise-to-the-heart kind of had me, it was more like a hot sexy bug crawling up my leg, burrowing into my skin, eating its way to my brain… Okay, maybe this direction isn’t so appealing. Simply put, it was a slow burn, but like on a California brush fire scale. This book was H-O-T. HOT! And the best part was, the intimate stuff didn’t come until about halfway through the story.

Deo. Sigh. He could be put into words, but I’d much rather pinch his rock-hard surfing non-existent love handles. He was juicy. Aside from that, he was sweet, real, and honest to a hilarious fault. His huge blunders only managed to make him more lovable, and the lengths (get it? ha) he goes through for Whit are seriously love-him-for-life material.

            One of Deo’s best lines:

                       

            Whit looks like an angel when she sleeps. She’s all sweet, full lips, long, curly eyelashes, and a tumble of sleek, dark hair against the pillow.

          She also kicks like a mule, snores like a bear, sweats like a hog, and steals the covers like a fat, menacing caterpillar about to cocoon herself before her metamorphosis.

Bwahahahaha! I think I almost peed my pants when I read this line.

Whit was a strange blend of controlled and crazy, but also severely broken, vulnerable, and more guarded than the President of the United States walking into an open ring of terrorists. This girl had it all when it came to issues. Yet she also had this inner glow that only Deo managed to coax out. I have to say, though, when her secret finally came out, I did feel like I’d gotten a Whit-sized stiletto to the gut.

I loved her. I loved him. And nearly every supporting character had the ability to make me bust out laughing or glaze my eyes with tears. From the slightly nutty/hippy mother, to the crotchety but endearing grandfather to the calm, cool, eclectic tattoo artist to the loyal and sincere best friend, I fell for them all. Such a rare quality in a supporting cast.

I couldn’t really tell you how the pacing was, because the story was so scrumptiously good, I found myself rereading whole paragraphs over and over, so it took me a little longer to read this one than it should have, but I enjoyed every little delectable word, period, comma, quotation mark… I can only imagine how much fun these two authors had writing this thing. It must’ve included many caffeine-induced slaphappy all-nighters of email tag and digital high-fives.

Clearly, I loved this story.

And just so everyone knows, it is a Contemporary New Adult Romance (I love that New Adult is becoming a category!).

Score: Can you give a story 5+ stars? It’s my review so I can do whatever I want ;)

Level of enjoyment: The answer is obvious.

Recommend to friends: Um, hello… Whoever has eyes (and by that, I mean eyes for Deo), should read this.

Will I read it again: Okay, have you seen When Harry Met Sally? If you haven’t, youtube the restaurant scene. I think that sums it up.

TODAY!

Today is THE day
Don't delay
Shout HOOray
For toDAY,
'Cause toDAY
Is THE day
I must say
I can't sway,
I can't stray,
I can't eat a partfait,
For toDAY is the day,
Yes, today is THE day!





Okay, so I'm no Dr. Seuss, but I couldn't help but put together a little NaNo Jingle. My project this year is something I've been working on for too long. Have written it too too many times. While I'm anxious to dive back into these character's world, I am also anxious to get this story off my plate so I can burrow into my other way super-hip and awesome, fun, cool stories. Like totally.

So... Dun-dun-dun-DUN! 10, 9, 8... Cue opening shot - AND I'M OFF! To a faraway land called my early twenties. Ah, yes, I remember what that was like when my - oh, right. Supposed to be writing.

Stop back tomorrow - I'll be posting a really fun review for Steph Campbell's and Liz Reinhardt's  Lengths!

Share with me! What are your projects this year?