Knowing, a movie review

Genres: Action adventure, fantasy, and science fiction.

Is life totally random and meaningless? Or is there some predestination, and purpose, behind everything?

Knowing, ponders this question. John Koestler (Nicholas Cage) is obsessed with questions of fate versus free will, because his wife died in a hotel fire.

Knowing opens in 1959, centered a time capsule. A troubled child psychic includes a sheet of paper containing what is presumably random numbers.

Fast forward to present day where we have astrophysicist and MIT professor John Koestler (Nicolas Cage) and his son Caleb (Chandler Canterbury), living together. Of course we are now at the 50th anniversary of the burial of the time capsule, and Caleb ends up with the list of numbers penned by the troubled young psychic.

John is drowning his sorrows in whiskey while trying to teach college class, work as a scientist and raise his son. A drunken John — recently widowed — discovers the meaning behind the numbers. They represent every major national tragedy of the last 50 years — the date, the number killed, and the GPS location.

Breaking it down, the numbers challenge John’s belief in the randomness of life, which he holds in contradiction to his father’s theological convictions.

Knowing starts off fairly predictable as John tries to warn people but no one believes him. Meanwhile his son starts to see eerie visions and hear whispers that are somehow connected.

There is a plot point or two that seem a little too convenient, and some familiar elements from other movies we’ve seen before, but the mystery continues to drive things forward until the big twist in the premise is revealed.

Knowing has a compelling premise that's a little suspenseful, it's also a little creepy. The special effects are great! The train and plane scene are impressive! And the spiritual endings is surprising!

It you enjoyed either The Day The Earth Stood Still, or Signs you're sure to enjoy Knowing.

Thursday Thirteen

13 things about Gamer Love

1. Gamer Love is my latest release!

2. Online role-play is the concept behind Gamer Love.

3. Gamer Love is a multicultural romance

4. Gamer Love is a modern tale.

5. Gamer Love is set in Las Vegas and Arizona

6. Abram (Gamer Love's hero) is a Border Patrol Agent.

7. Lindsey (Gamer Love's heroine) is a librarian.

8. Abram & Lindsey met online in a paranormal fan-fiction group.

9. Gamer Love flowed easily through my muse.

10. Already anxiety grows as I wait to hear from a reader or reviewer on their thoughts of Gamer Love.

11. Writing Gamer Love allowed me to dabble in my former addiction of writing fan-fiction & role-play.

12. Here's Gamer Love's story video.

13. Here's a short blurb for Gamer Love:

After months of online games, Lindsey's finally meeting her playmate Sandulf in the flesh. And what gorgeous flesh it is! When cyber role-play turns reality, Lindsey has to learn to show the gamer she wants to give him real love.

Melissa Lopez
http://melissa-lopez.com/
JOURNEYS OF LOVE every woman needs to take.

Babylon A.D.

I’m a movie buff. I love movies though I’ve only been watching them for about five years now. I LOVED Pitch Black ‘00. Loved it! It made me an uber fangirl of Vin Diesel. In fact, I was so taken with Vin’s Pitch Black character he was the muse for my hero in Torc’s Salvation a futuristic romance co-authored under Melany Logen.

I also very much enjoyed The Chronicles of Riddick ‘04.

Babylon A.D. is a good fantasy/science fiction film starring the above mentioned Diesel. Has anyone else seen it?

Toorop (Diesel) is a mercenary hired by an old ally, to transport a young girl named Aurora from Eastern Europe to New York City. In the violent futuristic Earth world, she needs someone with Toorop's skills as a smuggler. I won’t spoil the rest for you… Yet, I will admit I was hugely disappointed in the romantic element. It failed miserable. Which is kind of sad since the possibility of really working the romance out was there.

The next movie on my “gotta see” list is MAX PAYNE! This one looks awesome! Anyone else looking forward to this one?

Until later~
Mel

Erotic ROMANCE defined by Melissa Lopez

Something caught my interest at the recent Romantic Times convention in Pittsburg. An NY editor (who shall remain nameless) didn’t have a firm grasp on what exactly erotic ROMANCE is. The terms erotica and erotic ROMANCE kept being interchanged from their lips.

Strange how even today, some have trouble defining erotic ROMANCE. Erotic ROMANCE is a heat level in which an author tells a happy-ever-after story.

First, the most important factor in erotic ROMANCE is a ROMANCE that has two basic plot elements:

1. A central LOVE story.

2. An emotionally, satisfying, and optimistic ending.

In other words, the main emotionally engaged characters (however many there may be or whatever they might be) must have a happy-ever-after or a happy-for-now ending.

On to the deciding factor that earns an erotic ROMANCE that smoking hot heat level.

There are a few heat levels in ROMANCE genres:

Sweet romance is a chaste romance story. There may be some romantic tension but the couples do not go beyond a kiss or two. This heat level is very popular in Young Adult and Inspirational genres.

Sensuous romance is comfortable in its sexuality and open to new experiences.

Spicy romance has an edge, takes risks, and can be a little naughtier.

Are you feeling the flame of the heat level going up?

Erotic ROMANCE contains long, hot, in your face, explicit love scenes.

Like with the chaste kiss in the sweet romances and the love scenes in the sensual and spicy tales…Erotic ROMANCE is not just a story where sex has been inserted. Nor is erotic ROMANCE a story containing a string of sex scenes. The love scenes, like the characters and drama, must drive the plot forward.

There’s room for different definitions of erotic ROMANCE and I don’t think anything is set in stone as to what it is and not. But erotic ROMANCE is explicit enough and hot enough to excite a reader. The erotic heat level is meant to arouse. The ROMANCE is meant to satisfy.

Melissa Lopez
melissa-lopez.com
JOURNEYS OF LOVE every woman needs to take.

Ingram's Charm released!

Ingram's Charm
Gram expects cash for payment. What he gets
is Charm. A beautiful sex slave, only too willing
to share the delights of his body. Charm's
supposed to be a spy. But she falls in love. Will
she betray Ingram or become his lucky Charm?

For more info...


Melissa Lopez
JOURNEYS OF LOVE every woman needs to take.