Read the article here.

New Haven, CT…January 29-February 1
Munice, IN..February 4
Toledo, OH…February 5
Lexington, KY…February 6-8
Columbus, GA…February 9
Niceville, FL…February 10
Sarasota, FL…February 12
Springfield, IL…February 15
Wilmington, DE…February 17-22
Broken Arrow, OK…February 24
Fort Collins, CO February 26-28
Avon, CO…March 1
Baton Rouge, LA…March 3
Opelika, AL…March 4
Clemson, SC…March 5
Huntsville, AL…March 6-8
Morganton, NC…March 9
Raleigh, NC…March 10-15
Bangor, ME…March 17
Bethlehem, PA…March 18
New Bedford, MA…March 20
Schenectady, NY…March 21
Lincoln, NE…March 23
Sioux Falls, SD…March 24-25
New Philadelphia, OH…March 27
Flint, MI…March 28
Kalamazoo, MI…March 29
Davenport, IA…March 30
Kansas City, MO…March 31-April 5
Manhattan, KS…April 6
Peoria, IL April 7-8
West Lafayette, IN…April 9
Wilkes-Barre, PA…April 11
West Point, NY…April 12
Burlington, VT…April 14

For tickets click here

I wonder if this makes sense to anyone but me? The two tabs open on my Internet browser are Tribes and Religions of Kenya, and Sherlock Holmes Wiki page … both are hints of things to come.

From the opening scene to the closing, American Sniper is so present, so real, that I was in the scenes with the actors. I am so used to seeing movies through the lens of a writer — I “see” the script (seriously, I do!), I study camera angles, music choice, and sets. In American Sniper I walked out for the first time in forever realizing I’d seen none of that. I had instead been firmly rooted in a powerful, gutsy movie about life and death decisions, the pain of war, and the ambivalence of the human heart. Although tough and difficult to watch at times, it’s a film (not a movie) I highly recommend.

You know you’re an odd duck when you find yourself looking forward to a Costco shopping trip because you’ve run out of paper towels.

I’ve discovered a glaring difference between parents and their children: data usage! Our three kids have used 7 gigabytes over the past 20 days. Marcelle and I have used .75 of 1 gigabyte. This is a result of streaming video and music.

So, as the cellular companies struggle to keep up with data demand, we parents are footing the bill!

Here’s the secret for iPhone users: when you at home switch your phone to Airplane mode in Settings; then go to WiFI Connection and turn on WiFi. (this is assuming you have WiFi at home). Your phone will connect. You can use ALL THE DATA you want and it won’t cost your family a nickel from a cellular provider. You won’t receive phone calls, but you can text and stream to your heart’s content. If you’re expecting a voice call, you will need to switch out of Airplane mode, but remember to go back into it. When you leave the house, you will need to switch out of Airplane mode, but then STREAM LESS when you’re away from WiFi. I offer this sage advice from the novel position of one who pays the bills…

You know it’s a good Christmas when you receive new books:

The Mockingbird Next Door – Marja Mills

In The Woods – Tana French

Sherlock Holmes Handbook

The Whispering Skull – Jonathan Stroud

If only I could devour them all in a single week. It’ll take me a LOT longer given the final touches to:

THE SYNDROME (a Fairlies’ novel)  early Feb

THE RETURN – DISNEY LANDS (a Kingdom Keepers novel) last Tues of March

A follow up article to my mother’s situation…enjoy.

2014 Champion for Kids

Each year Variety honors a national celebrity from the entertainment industry who has worked on behalf of children with special needs in education, recreation, or therapy. This year’s Variety Champion for Kids is St. Louis’ own Ridley Pearson. This year’s honor goes to a man whose fantastical storytelling abilities have kindled a love for reading and writing in children across the globe.

 

Ridley is a New York Times best-selling author and Missouri Writers Hall of Fame member, with more than 40 novels to his name published in 22 languages in 70 countries. His children’s novel Peter and the Starcatchers, co-written with humorist Dave Barry, put a delightful spin on the story of Peter Pan and has since become a Broadway play that was nominated for nine Tony Awards and won five. His Kingdom Keepers series has also become a runaway hit with young readers.

 

But more than telling incredible stories, our Champion for Kids goes out of his way to help children craft their own stories. He is a regular visitor of classrooms and libraries throughout the country, teaching youngsters how to tap into their creative juices and become budding authors. He is also a great friend of Variety, whose assistance helped us to acquire the rights to Disney’s The Little Mermaid for it’s annual Variety Children’s Theatre production.

Check out the Sun Valley Writers’ Conference I participated in this past summer.

If you can handle some gratuitous gore (not too much, but some) the Equalizer will fill your thrills and chills and prove once again how far Denzel Washington has come from St. Elsewhere, where I first “fell in love” with his acting.

Although it would be great to see him tackle more sensitive roles, he fills out this action drama with character depth that all other contenders are missing, raising this film well above the bar. It is nuanced and yet brazen; formulaic and yet riveting. A terrific action pic to blow through 2 hours without thinking about anything else but how tightly you’re gripping your chair.