The Magic City

The Magic City

Monday, August 24, 2015

Sundance's Sidewalk Preview of Love Between the Covers

Hi y'all!  I'm Sundance, J-Dog's little brother (my nickname is Outlaw). He normally doesn't let me near the computer, but since he has some new mice-mice, I was able to sneak in some keyboard time. As a big fan of independent movies, I'm here to let y'all know about a great film that will be showcased this weekend at Birmingham's Sidewalk Film Festival.

As y'all know, J-Dog's and my mom, big-loud-blonde-lady who-has-the-thumbs-to-open-cans-of-wet-food writes romance ("big blonde lady" for short). Romance fans are voracious readers. It is one of the best selling genres out there. Who doesn't love a happily every after? I sure do, especially if it involves me catching that blasted red dot.

Anyway, Love Between the Covers is an amazing documentary about the unbelievable community of romance writers. Surgeons. Lawyers. Homemakers. Librarians. Physicists. You name it - every walk of life is represented among this group of hard-working ladies. You've met a bunch of them through J-Dog's #FuzzyFridays.

If you're an aspiring writer or someone who loves reading a story that will always deliver a "happily every after," you must watch Love Between the Covers. You will be inspired by the determination and dedication these authors devote to their stories and fans. There is nothing like the romance community, and Love Between the Covers lets you be a part of it.

Per Sidewalk's schedule, the film will air Saturday, August 29, from 1:15 to 2:38 at the ASFA Lecture Hall.

Here is the synopsis from the Sidewalk website:

The romance novel, often casually spotted in the hands of a woman on the subway or on a grandmother's shelf amongst hundreds of titles is an easily dismissed genre. However, to many, it's more than a paltry fictional category, it's a lifestyle . . . one that yields a reading speed of 3 to 5 books a week. This rapidly consumed genre is largely responsible for keeping the book industry alive. Love Between the Covers uncovers the camaraderie behind the romance novel's authors and readers and the fight for deserved respect in the world of book snobs.

-  Hallie Tarpley


Watch the trailer:




Every time, the big blonde lady watches this, she screams out who her friends our. She must really love that Manda Collins lady because she whoops every time she comes up in the trailer.

Check out Love Between the Covers this weekend at Sidewalk. There are so many great films, it is hard to choose which to see. This one is Sundance, the Outlaw, approved. For more information on film festival tickets, go to: http://sidewalkfest.com/get-tickets/  


  

Friday, August 21, 2015

White Hot #FuzzyFriday with Lily and Lulu

Lily & Lulu take over Fuzzy Friday and leave white hair all over your black pants…

J-Dog is thrilled to introduce you to Lily White and Lulu white, award-winning author Meda White's fur babies. Their Southern charm shines on this #FuzzyFriday.



“Hey, y’all. I’m Lily White, firstborn furbaby of award-winning author Meda White, or as I like to call her, Mama Meda, yip-yip, or the lady trying to hide a pill in my cheese. She rescued me from hot, humid Florida and brought me to hot, humid Alabama. Yeehaw! That’s a word I learned after meeting my mama.”


“Howdy. I’m Lulu White and I let my sista, Lily, think she’s the firstborn because she found Mama Meda first, but I’m on my third or fourth life now. A country kitty like me tends to lose count after a while…and teeth. Geriatric. Pfft. I’ll claw that vet’s eyeballs out the next time I see ‘im. The dirt roads of rural Georgia made me tough. But having a mama who’s a writer has educated me beyond my wildest mouse-filled dreams.”


“So, we have to make this quick because Mama went to teach her yoga class and left her computer on. We hijacked it, but Lulu has to type for me because she has smaller paws.” Lily pats Lulu on the head.

After a lightning fast head shake and short hiss, Lulu continues, “You can’t even read, much less type.”

“Shows how much you know, my feline companion. Don’t make me gnaw on your face in public.” Lily offers an evil grin.

“Stop trying to show off. We’re here to promote Mama Meda because, admittedly, she kinda stinks at patting herself on the back.”

“So true. Her first Southland Romance just won an award.” Lily licks her paw.

“That trophy is heavy as all get out. I’d hate to knock it off the shelf and have it fall on your head, sister. It could kill you dead, and unlike me, you only have the one life.” Lulu licks her shoulder.

“Alrighty then, old gal.” Lily huffs a short laugh. “Since you weren’t living here when she wrote that one, let me tell you, you’re so lucky. My sleep schedule was all jacked up. She’d be up writing or revising at three in the morning.”

“What’s the big deal? I’m up running laps at that time.”

“Yeah, I know. That’s why I learned to close the bedroom door, so you don’t wake our dad up.”

“That’s you?” Lulu squints an eye at Lily. “You’re smarter than I thought.”

Lily pants with a big grin. “Thanks. Anyway, Mama got the idea for the start of that story when she and dad were knocking down the old deck. For Play With My Heart, it’s kinda like the meet cute. When Ian sees Liz for the first time.”

“Since loud noises make you run for soft beds and tight spaces by toilets, I bet you loved that.”

“Hey. PTSD is a real thing. You have no idea where I was rescued from.” Lily pouts, staring off into the distance.

“Let’s give her a moment, folks.” Lulu rolls her eyes and yawns. “I’ve been at Casablanca, ahh, that’s a fancy name for The White House, long enough to know about the late nights Mama Meda spends in front of the computer. Those are the best times because the lightweight over there,” she glances at Lily, “is dead to the world, and I have Mama all to myself. Her lap is the best. Especially, when she’s on the desktop computer. I have a problem with that laptop and I might pee on it one day.”

“If you like those tasty treats she spoils you with, you’ll rethink that plan, Sista.” Lily lulls her tongue to one side. “That laptop is our drib and dribble, kit and kibble, doodle and caboodle.”

“For the record,” Lulu’s whole body shivers, “Lily’s the only one here who eats doodles. Just sayin’.”

“What? Is there something wrong with that?”

“So much.” Lulu shakes her head. “I happen to be a fan of the latest book, Fool With My Heart. Johnny Baker is my hero.”

“Oh, girl. Ruff. I know you’re right. He’s a good guy and loves animals.”

“All the Bakers love animals, and I’m feeling a little slighted that there’s not even a stray barn cat at Southland.” Lulu drops her jaw and stares at nothing.

“Hey, there’s a cat under Lacy’s trailer house. Remember?”

“Oh, yeah. I knew I liked Lacy. She’s the best.” Lulu attempts to grin by curling her upper lip.

“And she came from hard beginnings, kinda like me. I can relate to her so much.”

Lulu nuzzles Lily with her head. “I know, Sister. Let it out.” A furious shake. “Don’t drool on me though. Ick. Darnit-all. Now I need another bath.”

“Later. Mama needs us to help her sell some books. All of the books are wonderful, and we’re not biased or anything. The Southland Romance Series is based on a fictional family called the Bakers.”

“Yeah, they’re kinda like the Brady Bunch in boots and blue jeans, and Southland is the name of the family ranch, where they have all kinds of animals. Except a barn cat.” Lulu coughs up a hairball.

“Well the dogs are bulldogs because the family all went to the University of Georgia. I mean, how unoriginal is that? Adopt a collie, people. Go, SEC football.” Lily actually barks, which resembles Sanford Stadium on game day.

“My tiny, sensitive ears can’t take much more of this.” Lulu rotates said body parts several degrees. “Here’s my advice; buy the book, read it, then leave an honest review somewhere. My potbelly and I thank you very much.”

“Yeah, give ‘em the links, sista.”

“Okay, but these are a pain to copy and paste. I mean, this mouse pad is a little squirrely.”

“Squirrel!” Lily disappears down the stairs.

“It’s a good thing Mama Meda can count on me. I’m hoping for some serious cuddle time after all this.” Lulu sticks her tongue out while she copies and pastes. “Here you go. If you have a Kindle, try this one: http://bit.ly/Fool_Amazon If you have an iPad, try this one: http://bit.ly/Fool_iBooks And, if you have a Nook, go here: http://bit.ly/Fool_Nook

“I’m back. What did I miss?” Lily paces side to side. “Did you tell them they’ll love the book? Did ya? Huh? Huh? Huh?”

“I love my sister.” Lulu sighs. “I really do. Mainly because my mama’s trying to teach me to love everybody. But I refuse to love that ugly orange cat that jumped me last week. Scared the crap out of me. Literally. But don’t worry, Lily ate it.” Lulu rolls on her back and wallows a second. “Just kidding.”

“Thanks for visiting with us, and thanks to Ms. Heather for hosting. For more on all of the books, check out Mama Meda’s website at www.MedaWhite.com . We love y’all, and don’t forget to pet your favorite fur baby.”

“Treats are awesome! Hashtag share the love. I need a nap, Lily.”

“I’m with you. Lulu. Happy nappy!”




Friday, August 7, 2015

Jerry, Sammie, and Thor Invade #FuzzyFriday. All your bases are belong to us.


Lap Man accidentally caught 
Thor using his laser eyes 
to peer into the pantry
At the request of the soft human who gives treats, we three superior lifeforms have agreed to an interview with our like-bodied companion J-Dog. Our mission is to somehow learn from the many fingered humans how to open the tasty bags of treats she has placed on a high shelf. Once we have mastered this skill, we will be gods among cat kind. Until that time we live peacefully, accepting the soft human’s treats and sitting in the warm spot provided by her partner, lap man.

What is Mommy currently reading?

We have noticed that the soft human has too many books. She has half read books in the dining room (Mrs. Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs), books in the living room (The Cat Made Me Buy It by Alice Muncaster), books in the bedroom (Keeping You A Secret by Julie Anne Peters) and even books on her light up toy that she’s always carrying and tapping on (Charlotte & the Pirate by Patricia Green) and the large lighted toy that she types on in front of the big moving window in the living room (The Boys on the Mountain by John Inman). We see her reading all of them at the same time. She moves from room to room and picks up a different book for each room. It is most peculiar.

What was the most recent thing I did to get in trouble?

Jerry physically restraining the soft human to 
encourage her writing productivity.
The soft human and the lap man are often admonishing us for not adhering to their human ways. One day they washed all the throw rugs in the house and laid them out to dry on the tile in the kitchen. This made the rugs smell terrible, so we took the catnip from the pantry and spread it all over the rugs. We three enjoyed it very much. And then we shoved the baggie of catnip behind the stove so they wouldn’t find it until their next spring cleaning. They did not appreciate our efforts. We have resigned ourselves to continuing to educate them on the attractiveness of catnip.

What are my observations of Mommy's writing process?

Sammie uses his death glare to keep the soft 
human writing on her deadline
The soft human has to be supervised at all time during her writing process. We take shifts. The five a.m. writing hour is covered by Thor. He likes to get up early and sits on the couch while she types on the big lighted toy. It’s early and they don’t talk much but she knows he’s there. At night, Sammie is in charge. He burrows under her arm so he can view the screen and make sure she’s not writing anything objectionable, i.e., anything bad about cats. On the weekends, it’s Jerry’s job to help her drape the lap blanket over her legs and then hold her legs down on the couch so that she cannot escape, thus helping her productivity.

What is Mommy currently writing?

The soft human is working on more than one project, predictably. That is all Sammie reports back. He has seen the different pictures she attaches to each one. One has ghostly images and teenagers. Another has strange flying humans in a sepia toned Western background. And another involves a colorful and sinister carnival.

Why you should buy my Mommy's most recent book b/c pet treats aren't cheap

We were very disappointed that there are no cats in the current book the soft human published. Instead she has a human with tentacles which made Jerry and Sammie think of seafood. Thor only eats chicken. She read some of it out loud. The tentacled man helps a space man buy a rocket. The tentacled man likes the space man but the space man doesn’t likes his tentacles. Again there are no cats in the story. But she told us that more treats would be forthcoming if people bought the story. We think more people would buy it if there were cats in it.

Meet the Soft Human

Aidee Ladnier began writing fiction at twelve years old but took a hiatus to be a magician’s assistant, ride in hot air balloons, produce independent movies, collect interesting shoes, and amass a secret file with the CIA. A lover of genre fiction, it has been a lifelong dream of Aidee's to write both romance and erotica with a little science-fiction, fantasy, mystery, or the paranormal thrown in to add a zing.


The Soft Human's Book

When the right space pilot walks into his bar, a desperate bartender uses all his wiles (and tentacles) to talk the man into business and his bed--but the spacer is still enslaved by his past and isn't sure he can deal with a two-armed lover, much less one with six.

As the supply shipments stop coming, Teo Houdin needs all his tentacles to keep his waystation bar open. Facing a riot by thirsty miners stranded in the backwater of the galaxy, Teo helps a greenie space pilot buy a ship in return for a regular haul of liquor. But he longs for the courage to invite the enigmatic spacer to fill his lonely bed as well.
Still smarting from his newly implanted navigational ports, Jimenez knows owning his own ship will prevent him from ever being bought and sold again. For a former slave, transporting cargo through the emptiness of space sounds like paradise, but after meeting the compassionate and sexy Teo, his heart feels empty, too.
At the edge of the galaxy's spiral arm, can Teo convince Jimenez that the heart has its own tentacles and theirs should be entwined forever?

Excerpt:

Jimenez opened the bar’s airlock and the urge to run out again washed over him like a splash of cold water. He commanded his frozen legs to shuffle forward and inside. This could turn ugly if he lost his concentration for even a moment. But he wouldn’t. He’d been practicing, becoming accustomed to groups larger than this for revs now.
He could be just like everyone else.
None of them would see the scars on his back or the brand of his tattoo that had marked him since puberty.
Men and women filled half the tables and booths, some laughing and drinking, a few puffing blue smoke. The gaming tables on the side were empty, while a lone player at the billiard table opposite pocketed ball after ball. The room rang with loud voices, clinking glasses, and raucous music.
Jimenez slid into an empty spot at the pale stone bar and caught sight of the clearest, happiest eyes he’d ever seen, a shade lighter than the man’s tousled brown mop above. A dimple quirked at the side of his full lips, mesmerizing Jimenez. The loud voices behind him slid away and for a moment, it was quiet in his mind. Jimenez flinched when his shoulder was jostled and the spell broke.
“Hey, you okay, buddy? First time? What can I pour for you?”
Jimenez blinked, realizing the tall bartender was speaking to him. The man’s smiling eyes crinkled at the corners of his bronzed face. Jimenez swallowed, and he ducked his chin, trying not to stare again, trying to hide his hot cheeks. He’d never been so close to such a handsome man.
“Did you want a drink?” The bartender quirked an eyebrow.
“Yeah… I mean yes. Whiskey neat.” His voice came out gruffer than he expected.
“Bourbon, Scotch, Rye…?”
“Surprise me.” It was a game Jimenez played. He’d order whiskey and discover what the bartender served. If he reached for the rail bottle closest to hand, it meant he would pour either the cheapest or the local favorite. If he pulled something from the top shelf, the bartender angled for a bigger tip. But if he grabbed a decanter off to the side or behind another bottle, he’d score the bartender’s personal pick.
“Coming right up.”
The bartender raised a tentacle in greeting, calling out to another patron.
Oh, God. The man was a Pod.
Of course he was.
In a joint named the Klockwerk Kraken, who better to tend the bar than a tentacled man?

Find the Soft Human on the Internet:


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In recognition of alien, ahem, feline superiority, J-Dog is giving away to one commenter a $10 Amazon Gift Card purchased through Amazon Smile to benefit the Alabama Spay Neuter Clinic. The good people of the Alabama Spay Neuter Clinic stem the time of unwanted and abandoned companion animals by offering low-cost, high-quality spay and neuter surgeries. For more information, go to: http://alspay.org/