Remember Me

We usually preserve movie reviews for Fridays here on Minxes, but in honour of remembering New York on the 10th anniversary of 9/11, I'm breaking the tradition and featuring the film Remember Me.

Set in New York, this is a ponderous, atmospheric film starring Robert Pattinson and Pierce Brosnan, which centres around a family dealing with loss, each character handling the loss of a son and brother in a different way.

I found the film a little too slow moving, and spent most of the movie wondering just what the point was. The point is made clear in the closing two minutes of the film. Two minutes which pull all the film's strands together, give the entire movie a new twist, and leave viewers with an image so graphic and moving that you'll remember it long afterwards.

That final image is still clear in my head months after watching the film, and still brings a lump to my throat.

Our condolences to anyone who has ever lost a loved one, and to those who are gone: you will be remembered.

Storytelling Through Dance

Yep, once again I’m here to confess another obsession!

So You Think You Can Dance (US Version)

I’ve known about this series for a while (it’s in its 8th Season) but nothing really drew me to it until a few folks on Twitter tweeted about it. On a whim I tracked down a few YouTube clips and OMG, I fell in love!

Let’s just say I’ve seen “most” of the series and like the dedicated writer that I am, have totally fallen in love with the art of story telling through dance.

In case you start to think I’ve totally gone bonkers and need to be carted off by the men in white coats, in the recent Emmy announcements, SYTYCD got five out of eight nominations for its choreography alone and the show’s host, our very own Brit-grown Cat Deeley, was also nominated for best reality show host. So, really, it’s a great show…and I’m not crazy…just sayin’!

Anyway, I wanted to share with you a few clips that shows what I’m talking about.

My personal favourite and very effective in channelling the black moment: the “infidelity/heartbreak” routine.



This one is entitled (paraphrasing) "the ups and downs of falling in love"



Then the's the friends to lovers routine that gave me goosebumps when I first saw it...



Then to finish with my family’s favourite, the “girl power” routine. Watch out for Lady Gaga’s shoe at the end. My husband googled the band after watching it and now knows everything about District 78!



By the time this post goes out, I’ll know this year’s winner. Personally, I wish I could give two awards as I can't choose between Sasha and Melanie, but then again, I love Marko too so whoever wins I would make me extremely happy too.

Enjoy!

Author Spotlight - Scarlet Wilson

Today we welcome Minxy friend Scarlet Wilson, making her debut this month with Mills & Boon Medical. We love Scarlet and all we can say is: go out and buy her book!

Thanks for joining us here today, Scarlet.

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What is your writing process?
I work full-time and have two young sons with numerous evening activities, so my main writing process is doing as much as possible, in as little time as possible! I write 1000 words a day, mainly in my half hour lunch break. Writing everyday keeps me focused. Any research I need to do for my book I’ll do at night when I’ve got a bit more time for surfing the net. Any medical research I need to do I can generally do in a phone call. I’ve worked in hospitals, community and public health and I’ll generally know someone who can give me the answer to the question I’m looking for.

Everyone who writes knows it's not easy - what methods do you use to keep at it on days when it would be so much easier to go shoe shopping?
 It’s got to be a priority that fits into my life. As long as I meet my word count every day then I’m happy. Even if what I write is crap – I can edit crap the next day!

Keeping fit: Do you have an exercise regime to counterbalance all those hours sitting at a computer?
No I don’t. I’m inherently lazy and I’m starting to get fat!

Do you believe in writer's block?
Can I be controversial and say no? I think you can write your way through it. Even if you don’t like what you’re writing or think that it’s wrong. Even when I’m hideously stuck and have no idea what happens next in the manuscript I keep writing. If I do that, the characters tell me what happens next.

Have you ever used an incident from real life in a book? If so, did it get you into trouble? 

No. My imagination is much better than real life. I’ve yet to meet a George Clooney or Patrick Dempsey in real life. When I first found out I was going to be published, lots of people I worked with asked, “Am I in your book?” I resisted the temptation to tell them they weren’t interesting enough!

In what way is being a published writer different to how you thought it would be? 

There are still loads of things I don’t know. For some reason I thought being published would give me whole host of information that would mean I knew exactly what I was doing. It hasn’t happened. Sometimes I feel as if I find things out by accident. The medical authors have a group e-mail loop and they’ve been great when I’ve had any queries.

Promotion is no longer a dirty word. In what ways do you strive to reach more readers? 

I’ve built a website and a Facebook author page prior to my release. I’ve been blogging for the last 18 months on my own page and now have a spot on the eharlequin medical author blog every month. I like to join in the chats on the some of the online forums and comment on other people’s blogs. But I’m not a “in their face” girl. I’ve lined up a few spots on blogs for my first book launch but that’s it.

What is your top promo tip for other authors? 

Get online and speak to others!

What did you learn while writing this book?
That revisions are hard, really hard. I got the third set and wanted to give up. I felt as if I couldn’t deliver what they wanted. But I got two pep talks – one from my editor Sally Williamson, who must have sensed I was struggling and phoned me to talk me through them, and the other from Kate Hardy, another Mills and Boon medical author who gave me some really good advice.

What was the most fun part of writing this book? 

Seeing the story come to life. I could see scenes playing in my head like a Hallmark movie and wanted to get them down on paper.

And just for fun: what would your hero’s honeymoon destination of choice be?
Cooper would take Missy and their lovely baby to a beach front bungalow in St Lucia, with an inbuilt cook, nanny and masseuse!

The Blurb:
After one hot date…. Dr Cooper Roberts has a new job and the chance to begin a new life. What’s most definitely not in his plans? Waking up with his new colleague, Melissa Bell…And having to hold his head up above the dropped jaws of his fellow docs as he escorts Missy to buy a pregnancy test!

It Started with a Pregnancy is available to buy on Amazon and from Mills and Boon 

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Scarlet will be giving away a book to one non-Minxy commenter - so get commenting!

Revenge is sweet

Following on from Suzanne Minx's post last week on Writing vs Real Life, I'd like to add my own reason why I love to write: Revenge is sweet, but being happy is the sweetest revenge of all.

I'm pretty sure this happens for every writer and I'm not unique, but I love when I've had a hard day at the day job, and I'm feeling stressed out about some issue, then I sit at the laptop and start to write ... and next thing I know, I'm sucked into the story.

When I'm writing I forget all the bad stuff that happens outside my novel, and get so into the head space of my characters that nothing else matters. After a while, I even find I'm smiling (unless it's a tear jerker scene, in which case I'm smiling through tears).

The boss, the deadlines, the stresses of the day, don't mean a thing beside that incredible feeling when the words are flowing, and you're in tune with your characters and your story. You know what I mean, don't you?

I'm a big fan of The Secret, and one of the principles taught by Rhonda Byrne in The Secret is that you need to get yourself into a happy state of being before you can change your life and get what you want. And just as I write this blog post, an email pops into my inbox:

A Secret Scrolls message from Rhonda Byrne
Creator of The Secret and The Power 

When you find your purpose, it is like your heart has been set alight with passion. You know it absolutely, without any doubt.

So to everyone out there in my Real Life, this is my revenge: my heart has been "set alight with passion", and there's absolutely nothing you can do to stop it!

(Though it'd still be nice to get the ultimate in revenge by selling so many books that I can give up the day job stresses and enjoy the stresses of being fabulously successful instead.)

Man of the Month Poll - Athletes

Somehow I have managed to snag another Man of the Month post. I could brag that it's my superior researching skills *ahem* but I think it's more to do with me screaming on our email group "me, me! I can do an athlete post to tie in with the World Championships!" and then I begged a little. Ok, a lot. And the lovely Minxes let me find more droolworthy sporting men *happy smile*.

To start with, the fastest man on two legs--Jamaica's Usain Bolt. Of course, all of those athletics fans out there will know that he didn't do too well in the 100m. Although I was sad not to see him at his best, I very much appreciated him taking his top off!

Next is the so called "fastest man on no legs" South Africa's Oscar Pistorius. Amazingly, he had both legs amputated as a child and has fought to be allowed to run in the World Championships this year, against able bodied athletes. That he's had to fight to be able to run is incredibly sad, but I'm so glad he was able to compete and he is a true inspiration.




This is Norway's Andreas Thorkildsen who competes in the javelin. Just look at the size of those arms!!

 Next is Japanese hammer thrower Koji Murofushi. You can't really tell from this picture but this man is an absolute mountain! And has the most amazing dimples too!






This guy has my undying love {probably only for a few weeks because I am fickle that way} as he performed in 10 events which is done over two days. The pain etched on his face as he finished the last event, the 1500m was amazing. Got to love a tortured hero! Decathlete Trey Hardee is my last choice.




The poll is at the top left, you know what to do, ladies! And please don't hesitate to share any of your fave athletes I've left out, we love extra research over at the Minxes!!