So, DD and I saw EPL this weekend. I’m a huge Julia Roberts fan, always have been, so I was excited to see her onscreen again. Before I go further, if you really, really, really want to see the movie, go. Do it. But if you’re iffy? Here’s my take:

I don’t like authors who bash other authors’ books, movies etc. I want to write a positive review, yet be constructive with criticism. So here goes…

The scenery/setting in the movie is spectacular. If you’re an armchair traveler who dreams of faraway places but can’t afford the plane ticket (like me!), pay the movie fee, sit in the air-conditioned theater seat with a bucket of yummy popcorn and enjoy not having your baggage lost. Italy (a place I hope to return to one day) was gorgeous. Bali spectacular. India peaceful. And let’s face it, Julia’s character’s male counterparts in the movie weren’t at all bad to look at. Julia even meets another woman searching for herself in Italy and they have some fun moments involving ‘muffin tops’ any gal can laugh at and appreciate no matter her age.

Cons? Well, I’m the practical sort. If you’ve read my blog you know that about me. So my dislike of the movie? Had her character (based on a real book) not made certain choices etc, grown up, and just been an adult, none of the story would have taken place. Nuff said.

Despite the air-conditioning and the fantastic popcorn (of which I ate entirely too much and added to my own muffin top *sigh*), I found myself very aware of time and anticipating the moment I could get up and leave. That’s not a good sign. But the female character wasn’t someone I wanted to hang out with. She was too immature and too indecisive, making all the wrong decisions despite the impact those decisions had on her. Yes, some might argue she needed her one-year trip to grow up–or she could’ve used the money to hire a good shrink and sworn off sex or relationships until she wised up as a 30-40 something woman really ought to.

Julia Roberts? She’s fantastic. The scenery–unbelievable. The guys? HOT. The movie? Eh. If it’s really hot outside and you have a couple plus hours to kill, go for it. Otherwise, save your money. It’ll be on Lifetime soon.

Or as I overheard one lady say to her friend as they left the theater, “The book is always better.”

Kay

I did a favor for a friend yesterday and wound up being the one to benefit. Not only did I benefit from their company (which I simply don’t get enough of) but I had some time to sit and wait and being a writer, I took my iPad and portable keyboard and wound up getting quite a bit of work done as well, despite the curious stares of passersby. uter:

Anyway, I was thinking of my work schedule, time, kids, family, household chores etc and wondering if sitting down and actually marking off a time-lined calendar would increase my productivity. Granted, I’d have to stick as close to the time alloted as I could but… Hmm…. For those of you who work at home, have you tried this method before? Does it work for you? With school getting ready to start and me being able to have a normal routine again, I’m all up for trying to make the most of my time. Yesterday was proof I could write in a loud, distracting place. I should certainly be able to do it in a quiet one like my home.

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Kay

Love free books? One of my lucky newsletter subscribers will receive a copy of J.D. Robb’s BIG JACK and Amanda Quick’s THE PERFECT POISON. Sign up before Aug. 31 (addies are not shared/current subscribers already entered) for your chance to win books by these awesome authors! Please share!

Kay

The books I shipped from RWA National arrived today. Two big boxes packed FULL of yummy books ready to be devoured from cover to cover. The problem? I can’t possibly read them all–so this month I’m going to be paying extra attention to who posts on the ol’ blog and choose winners accordingly.

I spent the day alternately running my fam here and there to appointments and practices and plugging my plot points into Scrivener. I’m sooo ready to dive into a new story. Scarlet is ready, too. Can’t you tell?

But I also want to READ. I miss reading and don’t get to do nearly enough of it.

So, question of the day-what are you reading right now???? How many books do you read at a time? One? More?

Kay

Here we go again!

During the literacy signing the beautiful and talented Nalini Singh stopped by to say hello. I met Nalini a few years ago when we kept running into each other at a conference and finally introduced ourselves. She is such a nice lady!

Before the signing started, I ran out to snag a pic. This is a very, VERY small portion of the line waiting outside for the official opening of the doors.

A pic of yours truly at the lit signing.

Here’s a pic of the literacy signing from my side of the ballroom. Those sitting are authors, those standing readers!

But then we get to Nora Roberts’ line, which like the Energizer Bunny, keeps going…

And going…

Hope you enjoyed the pics. More to come later!!!

Kay