Winter Movie Time, y'all!

The Fictionista


It’s that time of year again. 

Not the Holidays!

It’s winter movie time!!

After a summer of big blockbusters that were long on plot, short on character development, we reach the time of the year when the studios bring out the big guns. Award season is just around the corner, (award fashions!!!) and studios want members to see their favorites before they begin voting.

Here’s a list of movies I’m looking forward to:

The Hunger Games-Catching Fire: Read and loved the books and enjoyed the first movie. I’ve heard the second is even better and I can’t wait to see Jennifer Lawrence kick some ass.

Out of the Furnace: The commercials for that movie scare me. That’s a place I would never want to be stranded. I don’t care if Zoe Saldana is there or not.

American Hustle: Great actors in decked out in 70s disco gear? I’m so there.

In the next few weeks, with family visiting and school-less kids, you’ll want a break from all the “togetherness.” J Go see a movie. Get a bucket of popcorn, x-tra butter (holiday calories don’t count), a cherry cola Icee and immerse yourself in a visual treat.

What movies are you looking forward to?

Here’s wishing you and yours a safe and loving holiday season!

Tracey Livesay's debut novel, The Billionaire's Socialite Bride, will be published by Entangled Publishing in February 2014.  She blogs here on the third Monday of every month. If you like the flavor she's bringing, you can check out her blog, Mimosas at Midnight or Like her Facebook page.

Fall TV Living Up to Expectations?

Fictionista

Last month I talked about the shows I was most looking forward to. Now, an accounting to see if the shows lived up to my expectations.

Scandal: Shonda Rhimes and company did not disappoint. It was a riveting hour full of intelligent writing, great scenes and OMG moments.

Scandal was just named the #1 Twitter TV show, based on Nielsen statistics and its premiere was watched by 11 million people. If you're not watching--and I don't understand why you aren't--Season 1 is available on Netflix. Get started. :-)

Sleepy Hollow: I am loving this show. It's fun and entertaining with clever writing and incredible chemistry between the leads. Last week's episode had Crane wondering if he needed to change his look to fit the period, which leads me to believe a make-over is coming. And I can't wait. Tom Mison is a good-looking man who needs to be liberated from his 18th century hair and uniform. It's already been picked up for a second season, but the first season only got an original order of 13 episodes, so it'll be a long wait in between.

As an author of interracial romance, it does my heart good to see the interracial pairings (BW/WM) on TV. Between Scandal, Sleepy Hollow and the Tomorrow People (best friends) fans of interracial relationships aren't relegated to niche fiction on the internet.

What new shows have caught your attention this Fall?

Tracey Livesay's debut novel, The Billionaire's Socialite Bride, will be published by Entangled Publishing in February 2014.  She blogs here on the third Monday of every month. If you like the flavor she's bringing, you can check out her blog, Mimosas at Midnight or Like her Facebook page.

Does Fall Entertain You?

Fictionista

If you’ve been following my blog posts, you know Fall is my favorite season of the year. I love the crisp weather, the color palette and the yummy scents and tastes: pumpkin spice lattes & apple cider.

But #1 on my list of why I love Fall is the new TV season. Every September, the networks bring back our favorite shows , if we’re lucky, and introduce us to some new ones. The show I’m most looking forward to returning is Scandal on ABC. It’s a smart, sexy, grown-up show and Kerry Washington is lovely as lead Olivia Pope. My Tivo is also primed for New Girl and The Mindy Project on FOX.

Of the new shows debuting, I can’t wait to see:

Sleepy Hollow: a very different take on the classic Washington Irving story. Not only does it change Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman's origins to the American Revolution but the story finds the two returning in the modern era, where Crane teams with a police officer).

S.H.I.E.L.D:  a team of agents, investigate phenomenon in a world where superheroes and villains have begun to exist. 

Happy TV watching and let the leaves fall full of color!

Check back with me next month and I’ll let you know how I felt about Scandal’s first episode and if the shows I’m excited for lived up to the hype.

Tracey Livesay's debut novel, The Billionaire's Socialite Bride, will be published by Entangled Publishing in February 2014.  She blogs here on the third Monday of every month. If you like the flavor she's bringing, you can check out her blog, Mimosas at Midnight or Like her Facebook page.

If Stephenie's making it, I'm buying it *sigh*

It's no secret, I love the Twilight Saga. Twi-hard, Twilighters, Twi-mom, ... whatever; I'm all in on the books and ESPECIALLY the movies. So when Stephenie Meyer came out with a book, not part of the Twilight saga, called The Host, I was skeptical. Why is she wasting her time writing different stories. Give me more Cullens, more Wolfpack, more Volturi. Midnight sun, anyone?

I didn't read the book.

When I saw they were making a movie out of the book, I wasn't surprised. The billion-dollar Twilight franchise was ending. Why should the gravy train end?

I didn't go see the movie.

No one else did, either. The movie didn't do well at US box offices, although international sales helped it exceed its budget, which is more than a lot of movies can claim. Still, to say its box office performance was a disappointment is an understatement.

A couple of weeks ago I was sidelined with the flu. I don't get sick often, but when I do, it's bad. Bad enough that my family leaves me alone, which means they only burst into the room once every couple of hours. I was in bed, unable to sleep, but bored with the over 300 cable channels at my disposal. (I know, first world problems ;-) ) On a whim, I rented The Host.

I loved it.

It's the story of an Earth that's been invaded by an alien race, literally. These alien creatures invade human bodies and take them over, a la Invasion of the Body Snatchers. The essence/soul of the human usually cede to the alien, but some souls are strong. Stubborn. They refuse to go away. That's what happened to Melanie Stryder and as the two essences share the same body, it's the journey of the human side's fight to reclaim her body and get back to the people she loves.

If you love sci-fi, you'll love that part of the story and the look the director envisioned. The alien side of the world has a clean, modern, sleek feel completely at odds with the earthy, neutral tones of the human side of the world.

I'm conflicted about the love story. It's another triangle, and it was clear, to me, that one couple was the "meant to be" couple, but I thought the heroine had way more chemistry with the other guy. Of course, I've been reading a lot of menage romance lately, so I was hoping the movie would take an interesting twist in the end, but, alas...

Still, I really enjoyed this movie and am bummed that there won't be a sequel, although the movie ended in a way where that may have been possible. I'm even going to get the book, because I love comparing and contrasting the two mediums.

If you're in the mood for a good sci-fi movie, with a bit of teenage angst, give it a try.

Tracey Livesay's debut novel, The Billionaire's Socialite Bride, will be published by Entangled Publishing in January 2014.  She blogs here on the third Monday of every month. If you like the flavor she's bringing, you can check out her blog, Mimosas at Midnight or Like her Facebook page.

True Love... in black & white.

Connect with me on Facebook & Twitter!!!

WARNING: It's dire out there.

There have been some big headlines recently. Let's take a spin around the cyber dial:

Supreme Court decisions (United States v. Windsor): In light of my recent post about Loving Day, it is preposterous that we are still debating the right of two consenting, non-blood related, adults to marry. This decision, allowing same sex couples who are legally married access to federal benefits, is a giant step forward. But the Court declined deciding the constitutionality of those unions. So for those couples who live in states where same sex marriage is illegal, I guess you're shit out of luck.

Texas House decision: The same men who scream, stomp their feet and proclaim the government must get involved in women's reproductive health issues and make abortions "a thing of the past," are the same men who carry laminated, pocket-sized copies of the Second Amendment.

Trayvon Martin decision (Florida v. George Zimmerman): And we're three for three... I have no words for this verdict. I'm a former criminal defense attorney, so I have strong, not positive, feelings about prosecutors. And those views did not change as I watched the prosecutor deliver an underwhelming closing argument to cap off a weak case. An underlying chant of "reasonable doubt" was the backdrop of most of their theories. Still, a battle raged inside of me.

A young black man was dead. And then his killer was acquitted.

While my heart was heavy and full of anger at the decision, I was not surprised. I believe Trayvon was racially profiled; that Zimmerman saw him, didn't recognize him and thought he was a delinquent. It was inconceivable to Zimmerman that Trayvon could be a resident, or guest, in the gated community. A split second assumption he wouldn't have made if Trayvon was white. But I also believe once he confronted Trayvon and the situation exploded (after all, a young man, who was doing no wrong, was suddenly accosted and questioned by a stranger who wasn't a police officer) Zimmerman feared for his life. And THAT split second decision, not the one before it, is the one that legally matters.

Blame the blanket simplification of the Castle doctrine, the law that told Zimmerman, in his capacity as a resident and neighborhood watch officer, if he believed his life was in danger, he had the right to use deadly force in defense, even if he could have retreated. It's the same law many site if they shoot someone who breaks into their home. Blame the lingering stench of our nation's history, still afraid to have a meaningful dialogue about race and politics. But don't blame the jury. The verdict, itself, is not an indictment of the jury system. I think the women on that jury followed the law, as it was given to them. Requiring them to render a verdict based on what they believe versus what was proven, would make them no better than the Emmett Till or Rodney King juries.

Cory Monteith: Young star of Glee, dead at 31. Like texting/drinking and driving and senseless violence, the celebrity lifestyle is a killer of our young. Seriously, this is a problem.

Tracey Livesay's debut novel, The Billionaire's Socialite Bride, will be published by Entangled Publishing in January 2014.  She blogs here on the third Monday of every month. If you like the flavor she's bringing, you can check out her blog, Mimosas at Midnight or Like her Facebook page.

True Love... in black & white.

Connect with me on Facebook & Twitter!!!

Thank You, Twilight!

As I was preparing my blog post for this month, I saw one that I drafted last November and never posted. Do I wait another six months or do I post it now? The sun is shining brightly through the window and I can hear my kids playing in the backyard...

***

What am I thankful for?

An incredible husband, three wonderful children, supportive friends and a loving family. I'm really very blessed.


But let's get real.

I'm thankful for the dream Stephenie Meyers had of a boy and a girl laying in a pretty meadow, a dream that turned into the Twilight story.

I'm not ashamed to say I'm thankful for every moment I was able to slip away into the town of Forks and lust over a vampire and a werewolf. I'm thankful for the screaming matches between me (a real person) and Bella (a fictional character) because it meant I was invested in the story I was reading. I'm thankful for the movie franchise and the people in charge of casting, for giving me the delicious eye candy known as Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner. (It took me a couple of years to get over my guilt about the latter one--he was so young! He's 20 now- guilt be-gone.)

I'm thankful for the last movie in the Twilight series, although I'm sad that they're gone. [I'll relive every glorious (and not so glorious) moment on blu-ray. :-) ]

But mostly, I'm thankful for a set of books which introduced a new generation of girls to reading and hopefully, to reading romance.

This past weekend, I was thankful for other Twilight fans who joined me at the movie theatre for the Twilight Saga Marathon, all of the movies, back to back, leading up to the release of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 2. It was so much fun, to be surrounded by true fans. We laughed, shared stories, cried and gasped. People are not shy about making fun of these movies, so to be with other women who felt like I did was liberating, and the camaraderie was quick and strong.

When the credits rolled, I was reluctant to leave the theatre, feeling that this was truly the end of an era. But I don't regret any moment of the past four years spent as a Twi-Mom. It was a blast.

I can't wait for the new story that will capture my imagination and love as thoroughly and completely as the Twilight Saga.

Happy Thanksgiving!   Enjoy a beautiful spring day!

The Grammys!

On February 10, 2013, recording artists convened at the Staples Center in Los Angeles for "Music's Biggest Night", the 55th annual Grammy awards. It was an interesting night for a couple of reasons. One, it had been a year since the death of Whitney Houston cast a pall over the proceedings and two, everyone was abuzz about The Memo, sent to all the attendees dictating their dress:

"Please be sure that buttocks and female breasts are adequately covered. Thong type costumes are problematic. Please avoid exposing bare flesh under curves of the buttocks and buttock crack. Bare sides or under curvature of the breasts is also problematic. Please avoid sheer see-through clothing that could possibly expose female breast nipples. Please be sure the genital region is adequately covered so that there is no visible puffy bare skin exposure."

Rockstars aren't known for their restraint. I was interested to see if they would comply with the new wardrobe restrictions. Some did, some didn't.

Kelly Rowland in Georges Chakra. For easy open, pull here...





Jennifer Lopez in Anthony Vaccarello , who said she abided by the letter of the memo. Uh-huh.





Katy Perry in Gucci Resort 2013: no outer or under boob, just inner boob.


I can't say I was wowed by the fashions at this year's ceremony, but I do have one award to give away:

My "What was she thinking?" award goes to Rihanna...



I thought she looked beautiful in her scarlet Azzedine Alaia gown. But her arm accessory was problematic and I'm not talking about her Neil Lane bracelet.

The singer has reunited with her former love, Chris Brown, who was convicted of domestic assault against her a few years ago. Rihanna feels it's her life and, if it doesn't work out, her mistake. She's owning the decision, but she's still a role model to millions of people. She may not want to be, but she is and she's reaping a lot from that privilege. If she and Chris Brown want to be together again, that's her decision, but they BOTH need to be responsible and answer to the people paying for their albums and coming to their tours. 

There. Ready to step down off my soap box.

Did you watch the 2013 Grammys? Any hits or misses in the fashions? What about the performances? What do you think about Rihanna and Chris Brown?


Make sure you join me next month for my Oscar recap, the ceremony and the fashions!!


Tracey Livesay just signed a contract with Entangled Publishing for her interracial, contemporary romance, The Billionaire's Socialite Bride and the other two in the series. She blogs here on the third Monday of every month. If you like the flavor she's bringing, you can check out her blog, Mimosas at Midnight or Like her Facebook page.

January & the Globes

January.

The first month of the year. 

A time of resolution. A time of revelations.

But not for me. I'm not promising myself I'll get to the gym more often or making a list of all the tasks I'll finally get to, like cleaning the closets or organizing my photos.

Oh no. January, for me, is all about the Golden Globes and fashion.

This was one of the best ceremonies in a long time, thanks to Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. The ladies were funny and classy and they kept things moving. In fact, the only thing I didn't like about them was that I didn't see them enough! I hope they're back next year, but I wonder if repeat performances will ruin the perfection of this one.

That said, here's my breakdown of the ceremony:

The Hollywood Foreign Press (HFP) got it right: Ben Affleck and ARGO, if only to show the Academy is a bunch of dicks!

The HFP got it wrong: Hugh Jackman. I love Hugh, although not as much as most people. Still, that award belonged to Bradley Cooper. I understand my fellow WiseWench, Sofie Couch, may disagree with me, but Bradley was awesome in Silver Linings Playbook and I'll take his baby blues any day of the week! Come on, Sofie. Bring it!! ;-)

Best Monologue Joke:  "I haven't paid attention to the controversy surrounding Zero Dark Thirty but when it comes to torture, I trust the lady who spent three years married to James Cameron." 

Worst Sense of Humor: Tommy Lee Jones. Maybe the cameras got him at a bad moment. But Will Ferrell and Kristen Wiig were funny. Come on, Tommy Lee, smile for the camera.

Off-camera moment I'd love to see: I love Ben Affleck. I've always been fan, even when it was hard to say so. But I would have loved to be in the seat beside Ben and Jen's table when the other Jen stopped by to chat. Runner-up moment: Jen Garner hanging out with Bradley Cooper and Victor Garber. Alias reunion!

Now, the fashions...

Best dressed

Anne Hathaway in Chanel. Simple and stunning. Beautiful.


Worst dressed

Rachel Weisz in Louis Vuitton. Daniel Craig was the only beautiful thing she was wearing and even he wasn't looking his best.


Overrated

Kate Hudson in  Alexander McQueen. Her body was banging, and she looked good. But that's it. JMO


Did you watch the Globes? What did you think? Who would you pick Hugh or Bradley?

Make sure you join me next month for my Oscar recap!


Tracey Livesay just signed a contract with Entangled Publishing for her interracial, contemporary romance, The Billionaire's Socialite Bride and the other two in the series. She blogs here on the third Monday of every month. If you like the flavor she's bringing, you can check out her blog, Mimosas at Midnight or Like her Facebook page.