October Special: Freak Friday

Now we all associate October and Halloween with trick-or-treating, attending costume parties, carving jack-o'-lanterns, bonfires, apple bobbing, visiting haunted attractions, playing pranks and telling scary stories. But one of my favorite past-times is cuddling up on the couch and scaring the bejeezus out of myself by watching horror movies.

There are countless movies about serial killers, vampires, monsters, ghost, ghouls, goblins and anything else that goes bump in the night. So to honor all those hair-raising beings, every Friday on Talk Supe for the whole month of October will be Freak Friday. Every Friday we'll be profiling one of our favorite or most feared movie / book freaks.

For those of you who make it a tradition to watch a horror movie during Halloween, here are a few horror/thriller movies coming out that'll make you jump out of your seats: Dream House, Munger Road, Tucker & Dale vs. Evil, Texas Killing Fields, The Thing, Paranormal Activity 3

So who or what gives you goose bumps/makes you run and hide under your bed covers?

Neverland Syfy Movie Event

Like most girls I grew up with the "princess mentality" with Cinderella and Snow White. But unlike most girls I wasn't a big fan of frills but rather enjoyed Tarzan, Hansel and Gretel and the very whimsical Peter Pan and his bestie Tinkerbell.

I mean how awesome is it to have fairy dust and fly! Plus we get to be carefree and whisical kids forever! Now Syfy has a two-night movie event coming out in December and based on the trailer and their press release below, it sounds fantastic!

From http://www.syfy.com/

Neverland, a prequel to author J.M. Barrie's classic, Peter Pan, sweeps in time from the turbulent seas of the pirates of the Caribbean and the back alleys of Dickensian London to a world of pure imagination. The cast includes Rhys Ifans (Pirate Radio, Notting Hill) as James Hook,  Oscar nominee Keira Knightley as the voice of Tinker Bell, Anna Friel (Pushing Daisies) as Captain Elizabeth Bonny, Oscar nominee Bob Hoskins as Smee (who previously played the character in Steven Spielberg's feature, Hook), Raoul Trujillo (Tin Man) and Charlie Rowe (Pirate Radio) as one of literature's most cherished characters, Peter Pan.  

Peter (Rowe), along with his pals of young pickpockets, have been rounded up by their mentor Jimmy Hook (Ifans) to snatch a magical orb which transports them to another world - Neverland.  Filled with white jungles and imposing cities formed out of trees created by Dr. Fludd (Dance) and inhabited by a colony of tree spirits led by Tinker Bell (Knightley), this mysterious realm welcomes unknown friends and enemies snatched from time.  These include power-mad Elizabeth Bonny (Friel) and her band of 18th century pirates who search for the answer to eternal youth, a secret guarded by a Holy Man (Trujillo).  As the fight to save this strange and beautiful world escalates, Peter and his crew consider that growing old somewhere in time could be less important than growing up—right here in their new home called Neverland.

 

Directed by Nick Willing who have worked with Syfy in previous TV Movies such as Tin Man and Alice, reinterpretations of the classics Wizard of Oz and Alice in Wonderland respectively. Neverland promises to be nothing short of spectacular from the cast to the special effects. For more information go to www.syfy.com/neverland

The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong

read first TEN chapters here

Series: Darkest Powers Trilogy 3
Format: Hardback
Release Date: April 6, 2010
Purchase Link: Amazon

Chloe Saunders is fifteen and would love to be normal. Unfortunately, Chloe happens to be a genetically engineered necromancer who can raise the dead without even trying. She and her equally gifted (or should that be 'cursed'?) friends are now running for their lives from the evil corporation that created them.

As if that's not enough, Chloe is struggling with her feelings for Simon, a sweet-tempered sorcerer, and his brother Derek, a not so sweet-tempered werewolf. And she has a horrible feeling she's leaning towards the werewolf...

Definitely not normal.

Chloe Saunders rebellion against the Edison Group concludes in The Reckoning.

Chloe and her ragtag group of defectors found refuge with Andrew, a former Edison Group employee and the Bae's family friend. Here they get more information and training on how to use their supernatural powers.

But it seems that peace is far off into the horizon because once again they are being pursued by mercenary werewolves out to capture Derek and it appears that the people behind it are Andrew's team.

Turns out Kit Bae, Simon and Derek's father, is still alive and was being misled by Andrew. On top of that, Chloe's powers are growing and inasmuch as she can harness it for good, she's also a shining beacon to unmentionables such as demons and other malicious spirits. In the end, the reckoning between the groups happen and though they managed to stop Dr. Davidoff and company, their trials are far from over. They are far from normal teenagers and through this very trying time in their lives they've opened doors and exposed themselves to other supernatural groups that may or may not go after them in the future.

This trilogy took me by surprise and I never expected that I will thoroughly enjoy it. Til the end the pace of the story was consistent and though it's dark, the characters did not wallow, they fought for survival and what's right. Chloe, though hesitant and frail, did not succumb to her weaknesses; Derek remained loyal and the protector, never wavering in his mission to keep them from harm; Tori who at first appear to be the bad girl finally found the courage to fight her own battles and accept herself even if it meant going against her controlling mother; Simon, the sorcerer remained in the shadows.

Simon's character didn't really shine in the series, being a sorcerer he could've been more than Derek's brother, instead he just got lost in the background. Aside from this, Chloe's necklace, which is the focal point on all the book covers, wasn't really explained aside from it is a talisman that will protect her. I'm kept wondering why the color changes and what are the implications of said change? Where did the talisman come from? Will my questions be answered in Darkness Rising?

This trilogy and this book never relented on scaring me. The parts where she was unconsciously raising the dead while sleeping is creepy especially during her necromancy practice in the cemetery. Yup, not the perfect venue for a powerful romancer of the dead. She had a Ghost Whisperer moment when the dead started asking her for favors so they can move on and that was sort of a wake up call for her that even if she can control her powers, her conscience would demand that she makes use of her "gift" for something good.

My favorite part was when amidst her practice session in the graveyard, there was a burial about to take place and the guy to be interred started moaning and knocking from inside the coffin which scared the pallbearers and the mourners, dropping the casket, displaying his twitching hands. Can you imagine witnessing that ruckus?

But the scariest part for me was when she was possessed by the spirit of the Edison Group founder, Dr. Banks, and for a moment there I thought Chloe will become the target.

I highly recommend that you read the series. Like what I mentioned in our Facebook page yesterday, if you love YA books but hate whiney teenagers and their passive-aggressive behavior, angsty and sarcastic talk backs and all that emo lingering feelings, then this series if for you. Kelley Armstrong wants NONE of that and just writes about teenagers who though special, were raised right by their parents.

Tears of a Mermaid an Evernight Story

Get it on Amazon, or XoXo Publishing

Evernight: Romance in a World of Darkness

As children, we feared the boogeyman. Our parents comforted us when the monster under the bed or in the dark depths of our slightly opened closet threatened our safety. We cried when those evil creatures invaded our nightmares and stole us from peaceful sleep, but what if those monsters truly existed? What if they lived in a world not unlike our own, where all they wanted was the same basic needs that every human being spends their lives searching for? What if the things that go bump in the night only wanted to be loved?

In these twelve stories, you will read about vampires and werewolves, angels and demons, and monsters of all kinds overcoming some of the most difficult hurdles simply to find their one true love, to find their happiness. You'll read of heated, salacious trysts beneath the moonlight and of lovers doomed before they even have a chance to find the one person who completes their souls.

TEARS OF A MERMAID
by Aaron Speca and Patricia Laffoon

The 10th of 12 short stories, Tears of a Mermaid is a grown up version of Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid although while reading the 7 paged story (pdf file) I was imagining Syrena and Philip in Pirates of the Carribean 4.

The story is a love triangle between Rudy, a sailor, Trish, the mermaid, and Aaron who I'm assuming is a water creature. Trish of course chose the decent one, Rudy, but it wasn't as easy as that, Aaron exerts a certain claim on Trish and will fight Rudy to death. What happens next is some old fashioned testosterone fest that did not end well. 

I'll be honest, I'm not really a fan of anthologies and I haven't heard a smidgeon about Evernight. But there's always a first time for everything PLUS Mr. Speca himself requested that we give it a look see. Who can refuse a request like that, right?

Verdict? I enjoyed the story and though short it was complete. The premise and ultimate conclusion were pretty much given so you won't be left guessing. As for the tupping (Highlander effect), I'm always anxious reading love scenes from authors whose style I'm not familiar with. In my opinion, specially with romance themed stories, this is an integral part and can make or break the tale. So with teeth clenched I forged ahead, preparing myself for some cringe worthy love scene that will put a sailor's mouth to shame. So imagine my surprise when it turned out to be romantic and beautiful and I'm glad that my worst expectations didn't come to pass. Probably Patricia wrote it because it sounds like a woman's POV, sexy but cerebral. LOL sorry Mr. Speca but my faith in men and romance is limited to fiction right now.

The only inconsistent thing was the part after Rudy and Aaron's fight and Rudy sort of lost his "sailor accent" by dropping YE, maybe Rudy didn't grow up in the docks but is a learned runaway? And what kind of creature Aaron, is he a merman or some other water creature? But these are questions intended for us readers to ask so even after we read the story, the tale will remain lingering in our minds.

I still have to read the other 11 stories and I hope that it'll be as fun and light as this on. For the meantime, please check another episode of our Writer Wrangler Series featuring Patricia Laffoon and Aaron Speca.

Writer Wrangler with Patricia Laffoon and Aaron Speca

This episode of Writer Wrangler is with Tears of a Mermaid writers,

Aaron Speca and Patricia Laffoon. Tears of a Mermaid is the 10th of 12 stories

Evernight Romance in a World of Darkness hosted by Allison Cassata

published by XoXo.

Talk Supe: Mermaids are often related to Disney's Ariel, was this a grown up nod to the Little Mermaid?

Aaron:  I'm going to let Patricia answer that question, since Trish is her character.

Patricia:  No, not really, I created this character with the help of a close friend Brandon Yeung, and the memories of the original Hans Christian Andersen novel, when I joined a role play (RP) group and she has grown from there.

TS: On a more serious note, why write a story about a sailor and a Mermaid? (I was actually imagining Philip and Syrena in the latest Pirates movie)

Philip and Syrena

Aaron:  To me, mermaids were the dream, the ideal for sailors that lived in that time.  They represented beauty and mystery, and the unobtainable answer to the loneliness of the men who spent so much time at sea.  Actually meeting and falling in love with one ... I can only imagine the intensity of it.  It's funny you mention Philip and Syrena, there is a scene from another part of Rudy and Trish's story ... when they first meet ... that is very reminiscent of their story.  And to tell you the truth, I think they were actually my favorite part of the last Pirates movie. 

The reason we even wrote in this time period, is that a friend and member of our RP group created an online page and challenged us to step out of what we normally wrote (present-day paranormal) and write in the Golden Age of Pirates ... so we started our characters again from scratch and took them there.

Patricia:  Well I am more than a little embarrassed to say I have not seen the movie as much as I love the Pirates movies.  But as Aaron mentioned a close friend of ours built a group page giving all the role players something to do during our down time this summer. It caught on like wildfire and it was the most natural thing for “Rudy and Trish” to do this story line.

TS: So I'm assuming the characters Trish, Aaron and Rudy are you guys, talk about heat! Who wrote the love scene?
Aaron: *Looks at Patricia and smiles.*  Well, we work together on every scene of every story we write.  These characters have their origin in RP, and we basically write off of each other.  Sometimes we know how things will go, sometimes we don't.  We go where the characters go.  But we never script the love scenes in advance.  To answer your assumption, yeah pretty much Rudy is my character and Trish is hers, and the way we collaborate in role play works because you get both characters' unique points of view.  Aaron was actually Patricia’s character she created as an antagonist for Trish's backstory, and the funny thing is she created and named him before we ever met.  She often asks me if I want her to change the name, and I always answer absolutely not.  I actually get a kick out of it.

TS: What is Aaron exactly? Is he a merman or part of Davey Jones' crew?

Patricia:  Well as Aaron (the writer) has so kindly put it, I had Aaron as a character way before we even met; the name thing, yeah, I asked many times if he wanted me to change it but he insisted on keeping it. But yes he is a Merman...and not a very nice one at that.

Aaron:  I can't stand the guy *chuckles*

TS: Is this your first published work?

Aaron:  Yes it is for both of us.  It's an incredible blessing as this is also our first attempt to get published and to have it actually happen, it's just an amazing feeling.  Our RP characters have a small but devoted following, and it feels great to have an opportunity to share these characters that we love with a larger audience.

Patricia:  Yes, and was a shock to say the least, when Aaron told me he had submitted one of our stories. Of course I was pleased that he would even consider sending in one of ours but never dreamed it would be accepted; hoped mind you but never dreamed it would be accepted.

We both enjoy our RP group and finding the time between our busy lives to fit in writing as much as we can. It has been a great experience writing; when I started this I warned Aaron I was no writer and that he would be ever cleaning up after me but the more I write the stronger I become and finding Trish’s voice has been a dream come true for me.

TS: How did the idea of participating in an anthology came about

Aaron: It was really sort of spur of the moment -- it happened so fast.  I had just recently become Facebook friends with Allison Cassatta, and I noticed she was doing a call for short stories for a paranormal romance anthology.  There were only a couple of days left before the deadline, so I took one of the pirate/mermaid stories we had built through RP, cleaned it up, and submitted it.  Just a few days later I got the word.  I didn't even tell Patricia I was doing it until it was already done.  *Laughs*  I'm not sure if she was excited or shocked or angry at first.  Funny thing is - I stayed home sick the day that I saw the post from Allison ... had a nasty cold.  If I hadn't had stayed home that day, and been able to spend the day working on cleaning the story up ... this probably never would have happened.  Life is just funny.

 

TS: Are you working on something new right now? Is it another collaboration?

Aaron:  Everything's been happening so fast, but we do have tons of material, notes, etc, to build from.  I just finished editing a novel by another first-time writer, Dawn Treadway, and we are hoping that will catch on with a publisher very soon.  It's another paranormal romance that basically pairs up a former demonic resident of a hell-like realm and a human woman with empathic abilities.  As far as future projects, first thing is, Patricia and I need to decide how to continue this story.  There will be a Volume 2 to this anthology, I understand, so we could easily do a prequel or sequel short story with Rudy and Trish in the age of pirates.  But I'm also wondering if we shouldn't just go for it and expand it into a novel.  I also have a very rough collaborative story with another hopeful writer, Jammie Yeung, involving a demon/demon romance.  These are two "bad guys", but sometimes it becomes fun to root for the bad guy, and judging by reactions from people who have read parts of it, these characters could be a big hit.  It will need some work, so it might be a while away.  There's also a "labor of love" that I'm working on that will probably never get published as anything more than fan fiction because it involves characters and situations from another writer's series, but it's been nagging at me to get written.  My wife, Wendy, has even been working with Jammie on their own paranormal romance involving a world alternate to ours.  Our biggest challenge is time ... I do have a full-time job and we have three school-age kids, so things often get kind of crazy.


TS: They say two heads are better than one but I know that creative writing has its challenges even on your most inspired days. You mentioned about making decisions, do you often find yourselves being at odds about how the direction of the story will go and all the other details? Especially for you Aaron since you're working on another collaboration, how much of your vision do you have to "sacrifice" in cases when you have different ideas on how you want the story to be? 

Aaron: Well, amazingly Patricia and I have been writing incredibly well together for the past year. Very rarely have we had any conflicts about where the story or characters would be going. That's why we are able to do a lot without scripting it in advance... we both enjoy "setting up" the other character and the excitement of seeing where the other writer will take it, and then getting the satisfaction of saying "I hoped that was where you were going to go!!!" And even when we don't, it's the ad lib aspect of the way we write that makes it a lot of fun. At least to me. The other collaboration I've been working on, as I said is still very rough, but we also write well together and had similar ideas of where we wantd the story to go. I guess it's just a willingness to be flexible, open to the other person's ideas... and above all, since we each "own" the characters that are part of the story... NEVER tell the other person how THEIR character should react to a given situation.
Patricia: *Smiling* At odds No. Surprised by each other almost daily, absolutely. Aaron has made writing together a great adventure. I find that we work well together. If I get stuck he says a word or a phrase that will inspire me, at just the right time. If we reach a point where neither of us are comfortable we stop look at the situation and work it out. That has been our game plan from the start and has worked for us both so far.

There you have it folks, a very insightful and candid interview with these noveau writers. For more information about Evernight, please visit

http://www.xoxopublishing.com/

http://www.amazon.com/

Til your next story guys, best of wishes and keep the words flowing!

Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters

Everybody knows the fable of the young brother and sister who outwitted the cannibalistic witch who lived in the the house made of gingerbread, cake and candy, but what we don’t know is what happened afterwards. Now, Paramount Studios has set forth for the rest of the world to find out how Hansel and Gretel moved on after their traumatic event in the woods.


The cast includes Jeremy Renner (Hurt Locker), Gemma Arterton (Prince of Persia), Famke Janssen (X-Men), and Peter Stormare (Prison Break).

Movie Synopsis:

Catching up with Hansel (Renner) and Gretel (Arterton) 15 years after the traumatic incident involving a gingerbread house, the siblings have evolved into vengeful bounty hunters dedicated to exterminating witches. Over the years, the siblings became expert hunters, famous for their proficiency at tracking and taking down their prey. Although still recovering from their ordeal, their work is relatively easy as for an unknown reason harmful spells and curses do not work well against them. Now, Mayor of Augsburg recruits them to rid the town and nearby forests of an evil sorceress (Janssen) who is planning to sacrifice many local children at the witches' gathering during the upcoming 'Blood Moon' night in two days time. To make things worse, the duo also has to deal with the brutal Sheriff Berringer (Stormare) who has taken power in Augsburg and conducts a very indiscriminate witch-hunt of his own.

Jeremy Renner as Hansel
Gemma Arterton as Gretel

Now how awesome is this concept? There have been many tellings and versions of the Famous Brothers Grimm children's story over the years but I'm pleased that we're not just getting another retelling of the classic tale. Taking the perspective the the siblings as adults is pretty original. Obviously, therapy wasn't an option to dealing with PTSD. 

The film is directed by Norwegian writer/director Tommy Wirkola whose projects have included Dead Snow, the tale about Nazis and Zombies. This  choice of director has given me hopes that the film will have a darker feel given the career path Hansel and Gretel have taken by hunting witches. 

Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters is slated to come to theaters March 2, 2012. 

How does Hansel and Gretel as a pair of witch hunters sound to you?

Girl Crush Mondays: Olivia Wilde

Olivia Wilde

I've had a girl crush on Olivia Wilde ever since she was on the OC, playing the bisexual who dated both Seth Cohen and Marissa Cooper. Since her stint on the OC she's been seen in television shows and movies including House, Alpha Dog, The Girl Next Door, TRON: Legacy, Cowboys & Aliens, The Change Up and countless other projects.

Girlfriend is absolutely gorgeous, in my opinion. Her eyes are mesmerizing and no doubt that body of hers is banging. She also happens to be my choice to play Beth a.k.a Wrath's Shellan in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series and Braine's pick to play the Seelie Queen, Aiobheel.

Now here is my homage to Miss Olivia Wilde…..

Fallen Angels Sunday

Every Sunday for the whole month of October will be Talk Supe's

Fallen Angels Sunday.

Every Sunday we'll be writing about books and what-nots related to Fallen Angels.

If you're a keen observer, you'll notice that these winged creatures are the new IT thing in the Urban Fantasy genre. So we'll join the bandwagon and contribute to this  growing affectation by sharing with you some of the stories we've come across with regarding these famed Watchers.

For the meantime, read up on some of the stories that have been influenced by The Fall.

Fallen Angels Series by J.R. Ward

Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare

Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare

Fallen Series by Lauren Kate

Blue Bloods Series by Melissa de la Cruz

P.S.

Time for some shameless advertising, please share any reviews, article, video, that you've blogged, saw, read on the comments below. We'd love to check them out :)

The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong

read first TEN chapters here

Series: Darkest Powers 2
Format: Hardback
Release Date: April 28, 2009
Purchase Link: Amazon

If you had met me a few weeks ago, you probably would have described me as an average teenage girl — someone normal. Now my life has changed forever and I’m as far away from normal as it gets. I’m a living science experiment — not only can I see ghosts, but I was genetically altered by a sinister organization call the Edison Group. What does that mean? For starters. I'm a teenage necromancer whose powers are out of control: I raise the dead without even trying. Trust me, that is not a power you want to have. Ever.

Now I’m running for my life with three of my supernatural friends - a chaming sorcerer, a cynical werewolf, and a disgruntled witch - and we have to find someone who can help us before the Edison Group finds us first. Or die trying. 

The story of Chloe Saunders continue in the second book of the Darkest Powers Trilogy, The Awakening.

When The Summoning ended, Chloe was betrayed by her Aunt Lauren and was taken back to the custody of the Edison Group thanks to her Aunt Lauren. While in the new center, Chloe finds out that it was their co-conspirator and one time friend, half-demon Rachelle who ratted them out.

Ever the instigator, Chloe forms a surprising friendship with Tori who used to torment her back in Lyle House. Together they plan their escape and rendezvous with Derek and Simon. As Chloe becomes a more formidable and powerful necromancer, the more that she feels alienated and even if they manage to bring Edison Group down, she knows that her battle doesn't end there. The reality that she has special powers is still daunting and the weird factor is just too persistent to ignore.

I'm a little torn, I don't know whether or not I like or hate Chloe Saunders because she has too much heart! Though Tori used to bully her and almost killed her she still became her champion against Derek and Simon. She always looks for the good in others which is naive considering everything that she knows now.

Like what I said in The Summoning about this not having those annoying young love sweet love? Yeah it's consistent with this book too, as far as that part is concerned the characters are just crushing on each other although it's obvious that Chloe and Derek have a budding attraction between them that they're not aware of but I'm sure that at some point there will be a love triangle between the brothers and our heroine. I also find it cute that Chloe is attracted to Derek who is not your typical leading man being socially awkward, short tempered and not really attractive versus golden boy Simon.

The lack of teen romance is probably the reason why I managed to just breeze through the book and kept flipping the pages, totally engrossed. The focal point is the main premise, a group of special teenagers who wants to escape the clutches of evil scientists. There are no distractions of petting, backward glances, tear-eyed love confessions and unrequited or forbidden love. It's just creepy apparitions and the reanimation of the dead. Vintage YA, love it!

Though this is a transition book, it was well written, it didn't drag, it didn't deviate from the plot and it wasn't boring like some series who wants to extend the story needlessly to publish more books therefore more sales (sellout!). This tied a couple of lose ends and unveiled partial mysteries that way by The Reckoning, we won't be bombarded with revelations. You can tell if the plot was well thought of, the resolution is always "visible" and Chloe Saunders story is just fit for a trilogy.

Mackayla Lane & Jericho Barrons in Action

Now y'all know that we're crazy about Karen Marie Moning's Fever Series

and we have countless blogs about the series and even

came up with our own Casting Couch because that's how obsessed we are.

Heck Talk Supe became a blog because of Fever! And Gandy :)

So we just HAVE to share this photo with you and we hope that you'll support our campaign for the people who we are rooting for to play Mackayla Lane and Jericho Barrons in the small screen.

Visit KMM's Facebook page so you can nominate your own choice, they're doing their own casting based on fan votes.

But as far as we are concerned, it's Katie Cassidy and David Gandy for us!

American Horror Story

YoureGoingToDieInThere.com

Is it just me or is there a deluge of paranormal TV? I think as October creeps in, there will at least be one show on the small screen inspired by monsters and other creatures of the night. Even Snow White is turning dark on ABC's Once Upon A Time!

Well that's good to know, it's sort of a confirmation that Cimmaron and I are not alone with our fascination with these preternatural beings.

FX just joined the bandwagon and have their own show simply titled American Horror Story. The people behind it are the bubble gum and rainbow Glee duo, Ryan Murphy and Brad Fulchuck who was also behind that other dark hit Nip/Tuck.

Now what is making me curious about this show is the promising cast. Dylan McDermott and Connie Britton, who just got nominated for an Emmy for Friday Night Lights, plays this couple who moved to LA from Boston to "reconcile past anguish". They move in to this old, beautiful house that has a history of violence and death since the 1940's. Jessica Lange plays Constance and is one of the numerous ghosts of the house.
Frances Conroy, Alexandrea Breckenridge and Eric Stonestreet are some of the guest characters for the series.

Another amazing thing about this show is their website

http://www.youregoingtodieinthere.com/.

The background music itself will give you the heebie jeebies.

It's this interactive site and you can subscribe to what-nots from the show from news to giveaways. If you click on the highlighted trinkets, you'll get more information about people who used to reside in that fun house, crime scenes and
other artifacts and clues about its past.

It's a very cool site and if you sign up you can get codes to unlock other house secrets.

Based on the teasers and previews, the series has a touch of humour about it despite the fact that it's dark.

So if you're not into Supe books but is into Supe TV, this is a basic schedule for you.

Sunday: ABC Once Upon a Time (October 23)

Wednesday: FX American Horror Story (October 5)

Thursday: CW Vampire Diaries & The Secret Circle

Friday: FOX Fringe; CW Supernatural; NBC Grimm (October 21)

First Look: Dark Shadows (2012)

I first mentioned the movie here but now we have our first look at the new Johnny Depp & Tim Burton's next collaboration, Dark Shadows.

Image via EW.com

Official synopsis for Dark Shadows:

In the year 1752, Joshua and Naomi Collins, with young son Barnabas, set sail from Liverpool, England to start a new life in America. But even an

ocean was not enough to escape the mysterious curse that has plagued their family. Two decades pass and Barnabas (Johnny Depp) has the world at his feet—or at least the town of Collinsport, Maine. The master of Collinwood Manor, Barnabas is rich, powerful and an inveterate playboy…until he makes the grave mistake of breaking the heart of Angelique Bouchard (Eva Green). A witch, in every sense of the word, Angelique dooms him to a fate worse than death: turning him into a vampire, and then burying him alive. 

Two centuries later, Barnabas is inadvertently freed from his tomb and emerges into the very changed world of 1972. He returns to Collinwood Manor to find that his once-grand estate has fallen into ruin. The dysfunctional remnants of the Collins family have fared little better, each harboring their own dark secrets. Matriarch Elizabeth Collins Stoddard (Michelle Pfeiffer) has called upon live-in psychiatrist, Dr. Julia Hoffman (Helena Bonham Carter), to help with her family troubles.  

Also residing in the manor is Elizabeth’s ne’er-do-well brother, Roger Collins, (JonnyLee Miller); her rebellious teenage daughter Carolyn Stoddard (Chloe Moretz); and Roger’s precocious 10-year-old son, David Collins (Gulliver McGrath). The mystery extends beyond the family, to caretaker Willie Loomis, played by Jackie Earle Haley, and David’s new nanny, Victoria Winters, played by Bella Heathcote.

Seems Depp is channeling Michael Jackson again?

The film is slated to hit theaters May 2012.

Den of Shadows Quartet by Amelia Atwater Rhodes

Den of Shadows site

Format: Paperback

Release Date: August 11, 2009

Purchase Link: Amazon

FOUR COMPLETE NOVELS - ONE CAPTIVATING WORLD

In the Forests of the Night Three hundred years ago Risika had a family—a brother and a father who loved her. Three hundred years ago she was human. Now she is a vampire, a powerful one. And her past has come back to torment her.

Demon in My View Jessica isn’t your average high school student—she’s an acclaimed published author of vampire fiction. Now two new students at her high school strongly remind her of her favorite characters. But those characters only live in her imagination—right?

Shattered Mirror Christopher Raneva and Sarah Vida may look like a normal high school couple, but he’s actually a vampire who’s sworn off human blood and she’s an incredibly powerful, vampire-hunting witch. As if that weren’t enough to prevent their love, his past and her future collide when they get tangled up with Nikolas, one of the most reviled vampires ever.

Midnight Predator Once a happy teenager, Turquoise Draka is now a vampire hunter. Her current assigment is to assassinate Jeshikah, one of the cruelest vampires in history. But to do that, she’ll have to enter Midnight, a fabled vampire realm, as a human slave.

This is one of those moments where I picked up the book because I judged it by it's cover, isn't it pretty? But I was not disappointed, the cover supersedes the story inside! Initially I thought it's a compilation of short stories or novellas at best. To my delight, it IS four COMPLETE novels in one book... but here's the kicker, the story is about ONE thing and ONE place told by different characters.

In the Forest of the Night and Demon in my View is sort of the "couple". In the former we follow the story of Risika who was turned into a Vampire against her will just so that she can save her brother. But throughout the years she has vowed vengeance against Aubrey who did the most damage to her and her human family. Here we are introduced to Atwater-Rhode's vampires and their nature. They are your standard blood suckers but what I like about them is that they are mercenaries. Their loyalties are questionable and they are very patient predators. So just when you're about to pick a side and get attached to a character, they do something out of character and you end up switching teams again and again.

As we move forward to Demon in my View, it becomes a novel within a novel. Jessica has these vivid dreams that turns out to be memories of her vampire mother and her maker, Siete. What Jessica doesn't know is that her dreams are in fact real and the Vampire community of New Mayhem, New York are getting more and more uneasy by her vampire series, she's revealing not only their secrets but personal weaknesses as well. Not good for a coven of Alphas. Personally I don't like Jessica, though her character is intriguing, her darkness overwhelmed her good traits. But there's so much history here that was left for us to conclude and make up as we go along, I have to pick up the full length novel.

Shattered Mirror is my least favorite because I'm just a bit wary of "teen romance". It's sort of a love story between a Christopher, an abstinent vampire, and Sarah and witch vampire hunter. This is sort of a spin-off of the previous two novels and we'll see New Mayhem from the eyes of these hunters. Sarah feels like she's a second rate witch vampire hunter compared to her sister Adianna and her mother The Dominique Vida. As much as she wants to blend in and stay out trouble, the urge to prove herself and her worth is more persistent. She then goes hunting for Nikolas, one of the most vicious vampires who is responsible for the death of a lot of Sarah's ancestors. Turns out her harmless vampire classmate, Christopher, is related to Nikolas. Then their world gets entangled and Sarah ends up being a vampire herself. So based on this, you can tell that there will be teen rebellion and impusive decisions that will do more harm than good.

Midnight Predator is the darkest of the four stories. The story is about revenge, vampire hunting and human slavery. Torquoise Draka is a hired mercenary and a member of Crimson. She just got hired for a job by a mysterious employer and it entails revisiting the darkest part of her past, to be a slave in a vampire den. Her job is to assassinate Jeshickah, the cruelest vampire in history. But once she got in she discovers that there's more than meets the eye and started questioning her purpose and membership to the elite group Crimson. Reading this last story made me a little bit uncomfortable. What's more disturbing is that some of the slaves are willing to be kept like pets and for those who managed to get away, to say that they've been scarred for life is an understatement. We all can agree that the loss of free will and entrapment is far from enticing and Midnight Predator explores this to the hilt.
I hate it when I pick up a book and read it midway only to feel like it's not to my taste but end up finishing it for the sake of knowing how the story ends. Don't you hate it when that happens? This Quartet curbs that as it's a digest of the series that have been published previously, which works for me because I like trying new authors and this compilation is a good taste test.

Here's the thing, Atwater-Rhodes just gave us travel size portions of her fantastic world and she left me craving for more. There's so much more to be told about these vampires and witches whose destinies are too entangled no amount of softener or lubricant can pry them apart. I've been glamoured and if I see the full length ones on my next library visit, I'm sure I'll check it out.

Amelia Atwater-Rhodes is a brilliant story teller, Forest of the Night was written when she was just 13 and the stories showcase her infinite imagination and how real this world is from her POV. This quartet is a good preview of her work and the Den of Shadows series, it helps you decide for yourself whether or not her stories are worth your time and money.

Based on this Quartet, the stories are very dark and violent and since it's a YA novel, expect that there will be some annonying emo moments. But it doesn't distract from the entire story so you'll survive the book without cursing the characters too much. If you like Vampire Diaries, you'll develop a certain degree of affinity for this one.



Den of Shadows Series

Review: Retribution by Sherrilyn Kenyon

excerpt here

Series: Dark-Hunter
Format: Hardback
Release Date: August 2, 2011
Source: Library
Genre: Adult, PNR
Purchase Link: Amazon

Orphaned as a child and raised by vampires, Abigail Yager lives for one purpose, and one purpose only: To avenge the deaths of vampires everywhere. To destroy the merciless Dark-Hunters who stalk and kill her adoptive race. But most of all, to find the one man responsible for brutally murdering her family: the ex-gunslinger Jess “Sundown” Brady…

Resurrected from death by a vengeful Greek goddess, Jess must hunt and destroy the creature who’s assassinating Dark-Hunters. The last thing he expects to find is a human face behind the killings—and especially one resembling the human who’d murdered him centuries ago. Jess knows he’s not the one who slaughtered Abigail’s parents. But now he must convince her of his innocence—and cross the abyss between human and vampire—before the darkest of powers rises to destroy them both.

Retribution is a story about Jess "Sundown" Brady and Abigail Yager. Brady, a bank robber, was killed by his partner Bart on his wedding day to Matilda. But the horror did not end there, Bart raped Matilda and sired a child with her who she eventually gave up for adoption.

Years later Brady met Laura who can pass as Matilda's doppelganger. Brady befriended her and found out that she is descended from Bart and Matilda's line. Brady then befriended Laura and remained close with her and her daughter Abigail.

But Laura's husband was jealous of Brady and after an ugly confrontation between the three of them, Abigail's parents were murdered and she suspected that Brady is behind it. After being orphaned she got adopted by Apollites who fed her mind with inaccurate information about Hunters.

Fueled by her desire to hunt and kill Brady, Abigail became the Apollite's assassin against Artemis' army until their worlds collide and they ended up playing for the same team. They discover that their fates run deeper and go way back and finally the truth of what happened the night of Abigail's parents' murder was revealed which left her betrayed, furious and definitely heartbroken.

This is the latest Dark-Hunter novel and the plot is exciting! I've missed Kenyon and her sarcastic Hunters with their biting dialogues. The story is multi-layered, defnitely entertaining and packed with action and adventure: It's the end of the world and Las Vegas is ridden by plagues, imagine trying to get out of that!

Though the Hunters are ruled by the Greek Pantheon, Kenyon touched on Native American myth, as a homage to her own mixed heritage. It's definitely a good break from the usual formula that Kenyon employs with this series. A couple of other Hunters also made cameos on this book like Zarek, Sin and Talon. My favorite is Sasha, who was Astrid's wolf in Dance with the Devil, his quips are funny and the wet dog jokes sure were hilarious. I hope Ms. Kenyon writes a novel for Sasha soon. And Choo Co La Tah, the name itself is a hoot, a Native American guardian with a British accent! You gotta love Kenyon's humor.

Now I usually love Kenyon romance because she knows how to write them and she really, really does it well. What cheapened Brady and Abigail's love story is when they made love for the first time in a car, inside a car wash place, while a swarm of wasps awaits them outside, thinking that they won't survive the onslaught. Like really?!?! It's like a scene taken from a bad adult movie.

But to compensate for this, Sherrilyn Kenyon wrote a bonus scene! Tory and Acheron are having a baby and we get an inside scoop on this event, afterall it won't be a Dark-Hunter book without Acheron stealing the scene.

"I swear if that's a pair of demon horns digging into my belly and stabbing me right now, Ash, I'm to beat you after it's born" ~ Tory

What's interesting about this is, SPOILER ALERT! Artemis ends up delivering their baby because nobody knows how to deliver a child of mixed human and Atlantean divinity. And surprise! Surprise! The "heifer Goddess" didn't throw a hissy fit and was in fact very calm and accepting about the whole thing. Makes me wonder if Kenyon is going soft on Artemis. I hope not because I like her as a "villain" and she is yet to recieve her comeuppance from Acheron and all the shiznit she made him go through.

I enjoyed the book very much and I think that Jess and Abigail's story is far from over. The way it ended suggested as much and honestly we need more stories based on Native American myth.

Girl Crush Mondays: Mackayla Lane

Mondays will now be Talk Supe's Girl Crush Mondays.

Celebrating fierce, intelligent and gorgeous women of both the real and fictional world.

As Beyonce's chant goes

Who run the world?!

GIRLS! GIRLS! GIRLS! GIRLS!

Who run this motha?!

GIRLS! GIRLS! GIRLS! GIRLS!

Now Karen Marie Moning's Fever Series is the catalyst for our blog and since she scored a sweet deal with Dreamworks we've decided that

MacKayla Lane should launch our current Talk Supe Special.

We've been campaigning for Katie Cassidy to play the kick-ass heroine so here's a short video that we created to celebrate both Katie and Mac.

Writer Wrangler with William J. Barry

 

This is our first Writer Wrangler episode and we hope it won't be the last. Our little and very young blog just got lucky and had the chance to talk to talk to emerging author, William J. Barry who wrote Sebastian and the Afterlife.

Read up because he has some interesting things to share not about his book but about a Vampire Bunny that I will check out.



William J. Barry



Talk Supe: Who are your influences in terms of writing and style?

William J. Barry: I’m not sure exactly.  I’ve been writing stories ever since I can remember.  I’ve always just tried to do the best at describing the scenes I watched play out in my mind.  I’m sure some technique and style have seeped in from my reading over the years (or at least I hope so), but I honestly couldn’t put my finger on the sources (besides maybe an English teacher or two).  I wrote a few screenplays before writing Sebastian and the Afterlife, that may have influenced some of my sequences (especially action sequences) to be straight forward and visual.

TS: What were your "getaway books" growing up?

WJB:I remember when I was really young I was a big fan of Bunnicula, by James Howe, and its first couple of sequels- Howliday Inn and The Celery Stalks at Midnight.  It was a cute children’s book series about a vampire bunny. (TS: WOW! I think I’ll get this series for my nephew to influence him to appreciate the paranormal genre this early)

Another big impact was in the 10th grade. I went to the school library and checked out The Complete Tales of Edgar Allan Poe (click the link for a free download of the book).  I really connected with his work and was fascinated by how he wrote madness and the macabre so beautifully.  I still name Poe as my all-time favorite author.

TS: What are you currently reading? How is it so far?

WJB: The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman.  I just started it recently, but it’s excellent so far.  As usual, Gaiman’s writing is brilliant and draws you into an excellent story.

TS: When and/or how did the idea for Sebastian and the Afterlife book came about?

WJB: I had been wanting to write a YA novel for a little while, but had not been able to come up with a story idea that I was happy with.  Then on a random night (March 23, 2009), the lead characters of Sebastian and Sarah came to me.  I knew that I wanted to write an adventure story, but at its heart, it would be a love story between these two characters.  I realized that I needed some great barrier to come between the two lovers.  What greater obstacle could come between them than death?  At that moment I knew that it was going to be a ghost story.  Once I knew that, I became inspired, and the rest of the story came to me.  I outlined the major plot points in each chapter for the entire book that night and the next day. The day after I finished my outlines I started writing. 

TS: Why write about death and the afterlife instead of the current night crawler favorites like Vampires and Werewolves?

WJB: When I started, I felt like the market had plenty of great wizards, vampires and werewolves already.  I wanted to write something dark, but less explored.  I think if I wrote about vampires or werewolves, I would have felt pressured to adhere to certain accepted rules about them, rather than have the freedom to create most of the rules myself.  But honestly, choosing ghosts came down to starting with the main characters first, then realizing the situation that they would be put into.  I feel like the characters chose the story for me.  I’m glad it happened that way… I hope I always put my characters in front of everything else.     

TS: Who is the inspiration behind Sebastian?

WJB: He is loosely based on me at 17.   A naive well-meaning guy with average intelligence and abilities that sometimes made questionable decisions … and could be a little over dramatic.  Among other details, I played soccer for the Angels and despised our biggest rivals (a school with a name that sounded similar to Westside).  Anyway, when I was young I really loved the name Sebastian, and wished it was my name (probably in part because the lead singer of my favorite metal band as a kid, Skid Row, had a lead singer named Sebastian Bach, whom I thought was cool).  Ha! I’m starting to show my age now. (TS: I remember you was one of my High School Anthems, we’re not THAT old Mr. Barry)

TS: It is often said that authors write themselves in their books, is this true in your case? If so then who is the character you most identify with?

WJB: This is going to sound egocentric… but I actually wrote myself as two characters.  Sebastian roughly represents me at 17; and Alexander is an idealized version of me now.  That’s why Alexander is such an action hero… he just shows up and takes charge (I don’t show up and take charge, I’m too laid back and passive … but I am living vicariously through Alexander).  In truth, Alexander and I only share a few traits: mid 30s, long hair, blue-green eyes, pension for dark clothes and a love for owls (especially Barn Owls).  I’m not Alexander, but hey, who says I can’t dream?

TS: Will we read more about the Grim Reaper and Alexander? Personally I want to read more about Alexander, I find his character fascinating.

WJB: Absolutely; both the Reaper and Alexander are more prominent characters in the second book.  (I am trying not to spoil the ending of the first book, but…) As the ending of the first book implies, the second will be focused more on the Reaper’s agents… and Alexander is a big part of the storyline.  He is not only a mentor/trainer, but (of course) he gets some real fighting time too.  We also get a little more of his thoughts and feelings.  Though there is still drama in the mortal realm, the focus of this next book is on the spirit realm.

TS: So we heard from the grapevine that the sequel is coming out next year. Can you give us more information about the release date and a sneak peak about Sebastian and friends?

WJB: I am really excited about the sequel; it’s great.  It’s much darker, more surreal and has more action than the first book.  It’s coming out in the end of February.  Pretty much all of our main characters from the first book are back (we also meet a couple of new ones).  Sebastian and Onyx are in training, and the soul pirates return to threaten the realm once again.  Jack is trying to fulfill his purpose and Patricia gets a new big responsibility.  Sebastian’s lingering concerns for Sarah and his troubled sister Kristen are put on hold when he is thrown into a perilous situation. A special team of agents must join together for a mission that even they might not survive.  In many ways I feel like the second book is better than the first.  I feel like the writing itself is better… but the story is more interesting too.  Even Jack has some amazing (and disturbing) scenes.  Not everyone is safe in this book … more than one character (that you know from the first book) gets killed off in the second.  Well, that’s probably all I should say for now … I don’t want to get in trouble for telling you too much about it. (TS: This sounds promising, it’s always encouraging when the author knows that his/her writing is getting better as the story progress. It means the words are flowing smoothly)

TS: How many books are you planning for this series?

WJB: Sebastian’s story is a trilogy, I’ve had it all mapped out for a while now.  After the third book I plan to move on to something else.  But I have toyed with the idea of eventually coming back to the series (after a break), and writing a prequel.  It would be set in the spirit realm, back when Alexander, Wells and Lin were students, and Axis Red and Brocku were agents of the Grim Reaper.  It would chronicle the fall of Axis and Brocku (and also how they became enemies).  I had even considered the possibility of writing this prequel when I was writing the first Sebastian novel.  I alluded to the back story between Axis and Brocku when we were first introduced to Brocku.  Who knows?  I really love the Sebastian and the Afterlife universe, so it’s definitely a possibility.

TS: Looking at your site, we've seen that you've been touring a lot with Sebastian, what resonates the most with the fans?

WJB: I’ve been getting a really positive response; people seem to love the story, which of course makes me happy.  Besides Sebastian and Onyx, people seem to especially respond to Alexander and Axis Red.  The soul pirates are pretty popular in general.  When I wrote, I tried to focus on the love and goodness within the story as opposed to overwhelming people with the sadness of death.  People have found it uplifting and encouraging despite the dark subjects it deals with.

TS: Where is your next stop?

WJB: I am doing a couple of things in October.  I will be a featured author at a North Georgia Reading Council Day, where I believe I will be speaking and signing books.  This will be at the Barnes and Noble in Athens, GA on October 22^nd.  And then on October 26^th, I am going to be a guest on the ParaYourNormal internet radio show.

Much thanks Mr. Barry for indulging us and answering our questions.

For more information on William J. Barry and Sebastian please visit

http://www.sebastianandtheafterlife.com/

You can follow him on Twitter @williamjbarry

and on Facebook, just look for Sebastian and the Afterlife.