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The Incredible Burt Wonderstone: Movie Review

March 26, 2013 by LaTaeya

Bert wonder poster

The Incredible Burt Wonderstone Movie Review
The Incredible Burt Wonderstone directed by Don Scardino, known for directing many popular television shows including 30 Rock, stars Steve Carell and follows the story of a middle aged Las Vegas Magician as he struggles to remain one of the top magicians in Sin City.
Wonderstone and his partner/best friend Anton Marvelton played by Steve Buscemi have had an act based at Balleys hotel and Casino for over ten years. Stuck in their old school magician ways, their careers and friendship is put to the test when fellow magician and rival Steve Gray portrayed by Jim Carrey attempts to show the world a fresh new form of creating illusions.
The team of magicians try to keep up with the competition by creating a stunt that hopefully will boast ticket sales, But Burt and Anton soon part ways when the idea of the new stunt goes terribly wrong and Anton gets hurt.
Burt struggles to maintain the show on his own, but the show sinks without his partner. As a result of the act loosing money Burt is fired. Unable to properly adjust, Burt is faced with living in a motel with accommodations that do not suit him.
During his travels and transition he meets the king of magic and learns that throughout the years he has lost his passion for the art of magic.
As realizes that the passion he once had can be regained, he reconstitutes his friendships and opens himself up to new ideas.
The movie was funny but still was not 40 Year Old Virgin funny. That is what I was expecting. Jim Carry’s character was very funny and it was nice to see him back on the screen doing what he loves. Carrell and Buscemi were a great team and had great chemistry.
I give this movie 3 stars and recommend it to anyone that wants to laugh and enjoys the combination of all actors.

Happy Reading and Writing
L.L

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Oz The Great and Powerful:Movie review

March 11, 2013 by LaTaeya

oz poster

Oz The Great and Powerful:movie review
Oz The Great and Powerful directed by the talented and creative Sam Raimi and starring James Franco tells how the origin of the Wizard of Oz came to be. Franco plays a struggling magician part of a traveling circus. A good man at heart, unfortunately Oscar learns how to live his life by tricking the people around him in order to make ends meet. After a day of creating illusions for a show Oscar is swept away in a hot air balloon when he is caught in a tornado.
(The introduction of the movie starts out in black and white just like the original Wizard of Oz.)
Oscar prays that if his life is spared he will change. And suddenly everything stops and he enters another world, Oz. From there on the movie is (shot in color.)
Oscar is memorized by the magic and uniqueness of this place. He soon meets a beautiful woman (Mila Kunis) that admits she is a witch and charms her just like he charms every beauty that walks into his life. In no time Oscar learns that this beautiful land is in trouble and is in search for the one that will save the people of Oz from the wrath of a wicked witch. Oscar quickly makes the people believe that he is the Great Wizard that the prophecy predicted. He uses his charms,wit and ability to create illusions to claim a throne of riches and fame that does not truly belong to him. Once he learns that he is in the middle of a great battle for power among three powerful witches (Rachel Weisz and Mila Kunis and Michelle Williams) he backs out trying to turn his back on the people and the mission to save the land. Forced to demonstrate his true nature of good he soon teams up with Glina the good witch and utilizes his trickster ways to create the ultimate illusion to defeat the two witches.
This movie is actually a prequel to the Judy Garland original. Sam Raimi did an excellent job directing this epic adventure. It was different than the classic Sam Raimi films that his fans know so well but he did not disappoint. The movie was filled with special effects. The effects were created with skill but there were times that I felt I was in Tim Burton’s world. Overall the movie was very entertaining and thrilling. The 3D version of this film did not enhance the cinematic experience for movie goers. That component was pointless. I would not recommend spending the extra money to see this film in 3D. The writing was creative and the make up was artistically developed. Mila Kunis’ makeup as the wicked witch was over the top with added laytex and construction considering the original witch had an elongated nose, warts and green face paint. The costume design was another element that added to the magic of this film. My goal for this review was not be long and obviously I did not meet that goal. ( LOL) The movie is a must see for adults and children to enjoy. I give this movie four stars.
Happy Reading!
L.L

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Swept into the Darkness Book review (Tour Stop One)

February 14, 2013 by LaTaeya

Review:

Swept into Darkness was a fantastic book to read. It entangled Angels both good and bad along with Greek mythology which kept me hooked.
Sydney, she blames herself for her fathers death and her mother being in a mental institute because of what happened to her father.
Sydney was no ordinary girl though she had abilities of seeing things before they happened and seeing other being.
With her best friend dying and her going on a journey or self discovery but ends up finding out that she is half human half angel and who her true mother is, but that is not all, The dark angels want her to join their counsel.
This is an absolute brilliant book and I could not put it down. It was written really well.

This review was provided by Racheal
Blog tour stop one courtesy of http://stressedrach.co.uk

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Walking Dead Rant

February 11, 2013 by LaTaeya

Walking Dead Rant
I know every one was tuned into watching the midseason premier of AMC’s The Walking Dead. I along with everyone else have been itching to find out what would happen to the Dixon brothers. About to battle to the death as they both take blows from each other two walkers enter the ring, suddenly shots fire and the crowd seperates like ants running from a foot that’s about to stomp on them. Rick’s group is weaker than ever and they all are struggling with their own demons, which are many. Glen can’t get past the sexual harassment and beating that he and girlfriend Maggie endured while in custody in Woodbury. As the group recoups briefly, Daryl decides that if Rick will not accept his brother then he will leave the group. Rick does not feel safe with bringing Merl back to the prison. So the brothers set off on their own. Rick takes Michone in temporarily and heads back to the prison. A new problem arises which is the new group of people that seek refuge. A war has broken out between Rick’s group and Woodbury. ANDREA finally learns that her old group made contact with the Woodbury group. She should leave considering all the weird things she has witnessed. The people of Woodbury are afraid and want to leave. The Governor has lost control and wants revenge against Ricks group. Towards the end of the episode Rick seeks Hershal’s council as he tries to make a decision on whether to accept the new people. Pondering over what to do, Rick sees a ghostly apparition that remembles Lori. At this point he blacks out loosing his mind. Everyone gets nervous and gives Rick some space. Considering that it has only been a week since Lori gave birth, Rick has not had the chance to mourn her absence. We never really saw Carl shoot Lori. I’m waiting to see her surface again as a walker. I don’t believe Carl killed her. The role of being the groups leader has taken a toll on Rick on a level that is and can be internally damaging. The future of the post apocalyptic survivors is uncertain but their struggle to endure and stay strong remains prevalent.
From a writers perspective I would have killed off Merl. He is untrusting and unpredictable. He is nothing like his brother and does not deserve a chance. But I understand his role to stir up conflict and action. If I did decide to go with keeping Merl alive my second option would have been to just let the brothers go their separate ways. Daryl makes the choice to stay with Rick. Daryl completes Rick’s group. The unspoken love that he shares with Carol is almost painful to watch. Just to know that they love each other and do not express it is hurtful. I would have spent time developing their love story. Just taking the time to be human beings is something that Rick’s group must do. The people of Woodbury had their time now it is Rick’s group’s turn. The last time the group had some real time to relax was the time they briefly spent at the CDC. I am looking forward to seeing what the next episode reveals.
Embracing Something New
L.L

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Beyonce Rant

February 1, 2013 by LaTaeya

I usually don’t blog about things related to the entertainment industry but I had to get this off my chest. Okay so what if Beyonce lip sang during the Presidential Inauguration. People think that it is the end of the world and the media eats it up. It makes me sick. There are so many other important things going on in the world that we as a society need to worry about. When I saw the news story this morning and saw Beyonce singing live, I said to my self “oh boy!” now she needs to prove to everyone and validate herself as a performer. Then on top of that Beyonce’s appearance is just to promote her upcoming Superbowl Performance. Its all about getting the right PR and piggybacking off of whatever publicity you can get. just look at Lindsay Lohan. So many entertainers are so over rated these days. People need to do something else with their time!!! Gotta go, I have writing to work on.
Embracing Something New
L.L

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Self Publishing Marketing Updates

January 12, 2013 by LaTaeya

Happy New Year Everyone! First I would like to update all readers on some of the book promotional aspects that have been put into action concerning my debut novel Swept into the Darkness. I launched a book blast hosted by Promotional Book Tours that started on December 21st and ended on January 6th. The blast was a great success and gave my book the appropriate exposure. Next on the promotional agenda will be a giveaway hosted by Goodreads. That will take place starting this Monday. In addition my book tour is in the early stages of the planning process and will begin February 13,2013. That event will also be hosted by Promotional book tours. During Valentines week I will be participating in a special book promotional event where Swept into the Darkness will be featured on several blogs, a group giveaway will be included in the promotion. I have more good good news. My Facebook author page now has over 500 LIKEs and I am so happy that everyone has been so supportive. I am looking to increase book sales and start the process of starting my own publishing company. Stop by my author page at http://www.facebook.com/authorlataeyalane
Happy Reading and writing
I have some movie reviews I will include in my posts for this weekend
L.L

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Swept into the Darkness Promotion

December 24, 2012 by LaTaeya

First of all I want to wish everyone a Happy, and Healthy Christmas and New Year. I know everyone is busy shopping, cooking or preparing their homes for the holiday, and I had promised myself that I was not going do any work for the next couple of days but there is just so much to be done. I will be working on chapter six in both book two and three and I have decided that I will be writing a fourth book in my Chronicles of the Celestial series. After that project is complete, I will start on my next project which will be a post-apocalyptic fantasy.
I have been hard at work with promoting Swept into the Darkness. For the next two weeks the book will be involved in a Book Blast hosted by Promotional Book tours. My book Swept into the Darkness (Chronicles of the Celestial book one) will be featured on several blogs across the internet. The book promotion will include a Kindle prize giveaway as well as ebook copies at a special promotional price of 99.cents at Smashwords. Enter coupon code NM25R to receive the special discount price. The promotion ends on January 6, 2013. The Smashwords book page is here https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/164123
Happy Holidays
L.L

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“The Hobbit” Movie review

December 16, 2012 by LaTaeya

The hobbit

Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit starring Martin Freeman is the spectacular genesis of an epic adventure that follows a small hobbit a young “Bilbo Baggins” as he sets off on a journey to help a clan of dwarves reclaim their homeland at the Lonely Mountain which was stolen from them by a fierce dragon called Smaug. Recruited by the great wizard Gandalf, Bilbo is approached by the dwarves and their King Thorin to assist in their efforts. Labeled as a “thief” Bilbo is Reluctant to leave the comforts of home and branch off into the world. As the dwarves try to convince Bilbo to take on the task, he continues to let his fears of the outside world get the best of him.
Once the dwarves make way out the Shire, Bilbo soon decides that he will not be a product of his own fears and sets off on “an unexpected journey.”
Bilbo’s travels open him up to a vast array of possibilities that Middle Earth has to offer including the most important aspect of his journey which is his encounter with the creature Gollum and finding “The Ring of Power.” Bilbo and the dwarves encounter trolls, orcs, and even battles goblins on the journey to recapture the dwarf land.
The opening of the film was just wonderful. Bilbo starts off as the Bilbo we know and love in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. He and Frodo (yes Elijah Wood makes an appearance!) are preparing for Bilbo’s birthday party. Bilbo is in the process of writing his book An Unexpected Journey.
This movie is the most perfect prequel that I have ever seen. I was looking at this movie as if I hadn’t seen the others. We learn more about the character that makes up Bilbo, as well as the relationship between Gandalf, Saruman, Elrond and Galadriel. It amazing how well Jackson tells this story.
Without giving away anything else, this movie is a must see and fans will be in awe once again over this cinematic experience.
The cast was stunning in their collective performance which included Ian Holm, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Ian Mckellen, Elijah Wood, Cate Blanchett, Andy Serkis, and Christopher Lee. Howard Shore graced the musical scene for The Hobbit and Jackson’s team of creatures and makeup artists ultimately created a film of sensational measure.
I give “The Hobbit” five stars.
L.L

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Self Publishing

December 11, 2012 by LaTaeya

Marketing my urban fantasy novel Swept into the Darkness (Chronicles of the Celestial) Book one has been quite a challenge. I officially kicked off the paperback release with a Facebook release party, which took place November 27, 2012. That event was a great success. The next step in the promotional process will be a Book Blast, which will begin within the next few weeks, followed by a book tour. I finally made time to start my official author page on Facebook which is already on the verge of obtaining 100 “LIKES.” I hope to make that milestone and go beyond. Advertising on FB and Night Owl Reviews will be next in the process. In the mist of me working on all of this I am working on Book Two and Three simultaneously. Having my book reviewed is another aspect that is very important to me. I already have two reviews and expect more to trickle in as time goes on. My Goodreads promotion is also on the list of things to do. I have been spending so much time on promotion that it has taken away from my writing. With winter break fast approaching, I plan on finishing book two and hopefully I will have the chance to start the editing process so I can meet my 2013 publishing deadline. The second review to my book is also great. It is included below. It really is an honor to have the opportunity to have your work read by other people and to be understood as a creative entity. It’s a great feeling to have people to recognize, respect and be open to being exposed to part of a person that is so dear and sacred to them. To give an unknown author a chance to express themselves and be heard is magical. I really want to thank those who have given me that chance and believe in the work I create.
5.0 out of 5 stars Well Earned Review, December 9, 2012
By aerstad – See all my reviews This review is from: Swept into the Darkness (Chronicles of the Celestial) (Kindle Edition)
A great, well written read.
Take me to another world and show me all the things that go on – on these other planes.
Such an interesting read. Love reading about Angels, good and bad, and the fight that goes on between them.
But what an awesome twist that I certainly was not expecting ——-A new breed, and one that I have never even thought of.
Hooray for LaTaeya. You did a wonderful job making this your own story.
Also with the Greek Mythology, Egyptians, amongst the Angels and other creatures, I can’t wait to read a book 2, which I
sure hope there is going to be one.
What else can I say other than you have created a believer out of me, and made me a follower of your work.
Happy Reading!! L.L

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Author Interview

November 30, 2012 by LaTaeya

Hello all!  In honor of Inde Author month which was in (October but extended into the end of this month)  I was told that I would be included in the event this week, hosted by a blog but my interview was never posted so I am posting the interview questions here.  Read on and I hope you enjoy it.

Author Interview

LaTaeya Lane

Swept into the Darkness (Chronicles of the Celestial Book One) lataeya1

 

If someone looked at your browsing history right now, what kinds of things would we find?

 

If my browsing history was reviewed right now, sites related to book tours would be found.  I am in the process of making plans for my tour and I have been researching for the best tour company and package that will meet my book promotional needs.

 

Other than book publishing, you will also find lots of sites for stores that sell baby products and equipment.  I have a four month old baby boy and I am looking for an activity center and swing for him to be entertained with.

 

If you could write about any subject that is near and dear to your heart, what would it be and why?

 

The subject that is near and dear to my heart, that I would like to write about is my pregnancy and birth experience.  Despite the aches and pains that come with being pregnant and having a baby, it is truly a beautiful experience of transition that brings real magic into the lives of the people being affected.

Even though my memories will never fade, I just feel that my experiences and feelings will become immortal once they are documented through the written word.

 

Do you have a favorite song, album or playlist that you write to?

 

My favorite song is “All Cats are Gray” by The Cure.  I do not play music when I am writing.  I usually have the television on low.  Some people may wonder how can write with the television on, but it is very easy for me, because when I write I am transported into the characters and worlds that I create and I do not get distracted easily.

 

What was the first thing you did after the debut of the first book you wrote?

 

Swept into the Darkness is the second book I have written, but the first I have had published.  The first thing I did after the debut of my book was sent a message via Twitter and Facebook announcing the official debut and book availability.

 

Do you have any guilty pleasures?

 

My guilty pleasure is curling up on the sofa with a nice glass of Pinot Grigio and a good book.

 

What was your favorite book as a teen?

As a teenager my head was always buried in a book.  I had so many books that I favored so I cannot single out one book in particular but I did have a favorite series.  The Sweet Valley High books have a special place in my heart.  Once I read the first book I was hooked.  I loved reading and living the adventures of the twins Elizabeth and Jessica.

If an aspiring writer asked for advice, what would you tell them?

 

My answer would depend on what advice that asked me in particular, but I would tell them to write things they are passionate about, always be as descriptive as they can and be sure to draw in your readers by using good character development, detailed language and captivating plot conception.

 

What is your favorite movie?

I am what you can call a movie buff.  I love movies so much that I also do movie reviews  on my blog.  My favorite movie of all time is The Lord of The Rings trilogy.  It is also the best book to movie adaptation.  Jackson did an impeccable job staying true to Tolkien’s vision while making his own mark upon the world of cinema.

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